Autism And The College Experience

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Regardless of where autistic students fall along the academic spectrum, whether they earned a traditional high school diploma or a certificate of completion, there is a college program for them. But it may take some research to find the right fit. Here are some resources and tips that could help.

What Are the College Options for Students With Intellectual Disabilities?
Autistic students with intellectual disabilities can receive U.S. federal student aid to attend approved programs at more than 150 colleges and universities in 42 states. Students in these comprehensive transition and postsecondary (CTP) programs focus on academic, job, and independent living skills. They typically attend some classes or job training programs with neurotypical students. For a list of CTP programs, see the Federal Student Aid website or ThinkCollege.net.

ThinkCollege.net also lists two- and four-year colleges that have other programs for students with intellectual disabilities. Students in these non-CTP programs do not receive federal financial aid. However, some of these programs may be funded by public school districts or vocational rehabilitation agencies serving those students.

Can I Get Support If I Attend a Selective University?
Yes. Every U.S. college and university that accepts federal money must provide “reasonable accommodations” to students with disabilities who are otherwise qualified for admission to that school. Academic accommodations often include extended time on tests, a testing room free of distractions, screen readers or audio books, and use of a note taker or recorder for class notes.

Colleges differ in the level of support they offer students with autism so it’s important to do your research. You may contact the college’s disabilities support services office to find out how to register, what documentation you need, and more.

You may want to ask:

What accommodations are available?
How do professors find out about a student’s academic accommodations?
Can a student get a housing accommodation like a private dorm room? What does the college do to reduce the sensory overload of bright lights and loud noise in dorms?
Do you have mentoring and social programs for autistic students?
Do you offer tutoring, either by students or professionals?
Are mental health providers available on campus?
What If an Autistic Student Wants More Than “Reasonable Accommodations”?
About six dozen colleges in 29 states have optional autism support programs, according to a 2022 study. These services, which exceed what’s required by law, may include mentoring, tutoring, counseling, and help with social, independent living, job, and self-advocacy skills.

Some of these programs are free to students, but most charge an extra fee, beyond tuition. The average fee was about $3,500 per semester, with services and costs varying by school, according to a study published in 2020.

Scholarships and your state vocational rehabilitation agency may help pay the cost of these programs.

The West Virginia Autism Training Center at Marshall University has an assessment worksheet for students and families to use when researching these programs.

Its Benchmarks for Effective Supports for College Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders recommends asking if an autism program has professionals or paraprofessionals who teach independent living skills and social networking skills, among other questions.

How Can I Find Colleges With Special Programs for Autistic Students?
You can find a list of these programs and links to them at the College Autism Network. The list was developed by two authors of a study of college autism programs, with support from the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt University.

Where Can I Learn More About College?
To learn about your rights and responsibilities at college, and what to expect on campus, check out these resources, which can be downloaded free:

Finding Your Way: A College Guide for Students on the Spectrum from the Organization for Autism Research
Postsecondary Educational Opportunities Guide from Autism Speaks
Preparing for College by ThinkCollege.net
Students with Disabilities Preparing for Postsecondary Education: Know Your Rights and Responsibilities from the U.S. Department of Education
Auxiliary Aids and Services for Postsecondary Students with Disabilities from the U.S. Department of Education

When Sarah Sanders began college, she hoped she would be fine without the special education help she received in high school. Then she found herself struggling in biology class. Fortunately, a classmate served as her guide to the campus disability support services office, taking her there to register for help. “I wasn’t sure how the system worked since it’s so different from high school,” says Sanders, an autistic advisor to the SPARK autism study.

Many students struggle to adjust to the challenges of college: difficult classes, dormitory living, sudden independence, and a new social world. But for people on the autism spectrum, the transition can be more abrupt and dramatic.

For one, the individualized education programs (IEPs) that helped autistic students from preschool through high school disappear in college. Their parents are no longer able, or welcome, to advocate for them. Students’ struggles with communication, organization, and interpreting social situations can multiply exponentially in college, away from the watchful eyes of special educators and families.

“There are no bells to tell you to go to a different class, and no one tells you when to eat, do laundry, work, or sleep,” says Ernst O. VanBergeijk, Ph.D., MSW, who directed programs for students with autism and other developmental conditions at two universities.

About a third of autistic teens who had IEPs go on to college or vocational programs after high school, but they are less likely to graduate than their classmates, according to research.

Many autistic people can earn a college degree, but they often require a range of supports. Do colleges offer the help that they need?

What’s the Difference Between High School and College Supports for Students With Disabilities?
As Sanders noted, the high school and college systems for helping students with autism differ greatly.

From birth until they leave high school, students with disabilities are guaranteed a free and appropriate public education under U.S. education law. Schools have the power to adopt changes that help students learn and succeed, including altering the curriculum and testing.

But the rules change after high school. The focus shifts from ensuring student success to preventing discrimination.

“Under the Americans with Disabilities Act, higher education is a privilege,” says VanBergeijk, an educational consultant. “The colleges only have to make accommodations to level the playing field and so they don’t discriminate against the person. But the student must be otherwise qualified.”

Colleges and universities that accept federal money must provide only “reasonable” accommodations to students with disabilities, and only accommodations that do not fundamentally change the requirements of their programs.

Such accommodations often include extended time on tests, a testing room free of distractions, a screen reader that reads books out loud, the use of a note taker or audio recorder for lectures, and seating accommodations. Colleges do not have to provide tutoring.

A College Necessity: Advocating for Yourself
Unlike high schools, colleges require autistic students to ask for what they need. For example, students must contact the disability support services office, provide documentation of their disability, and request accommodations. In many cases, they also must notify their professors of their accommodations, although they do not have to say what their disability is.

Some students are reluctant to tell their colleges that they have a disability, according to one study.6 Asking for help—a vital skill for adulthood—can be difficult for those on the spectrum who struggle with social and communication skills.

Sanders, who earned an associate degree, urges other autistic students to register with the disability support services office as soon as they can. Her grades improved dramatically after she received accommodations, such as a screen reader, a quiet exam room, and extra time on tests.

“I can’t stress this enough: please get acquainted with the disability services office,” says Sanders, who is now 29. “Ask for help because everybody there wants to help you succeed.”

Needed: An “Interpreter of the Social World” for Autistic Students
Colleges are used to providing accommodations to students with learning or physical disabilities, but students with autism often have needs that extend beyond the classroom, VanBergeijk says.

Students may be accused of stalking because they don’t know how to show their interest in a potential date appropriately. They may irritate professors by interrupting and correcting them. Or they may become upset if someone sits in what they consider to be their seat, VanBergeijk says.

Students may need social or sensory accommodations for dorm living, such as a single room or different lighting. Whether colleges can provide that is “hit or miss,” VanBergeijk says. Colleges may interpret the Americans with Disabilities Act differently, and their attempts to comply may be affected by their size, budget, and mission, he says.

Sanders arranged to live in the “quiet dorm” on campus, which helped her avoid sensory overload from blaring music or late-night parties. “All colleges with dorms should have either a quiet hallway or a quiet building if possible because that’s really, really helpful,” she says.

The Community College Option
Sanders graduated from a community college, a popular option for those on the spectrum. More than 80 percent of college students with autism have attended a two-year college at some point.

Public community colleges, which often boast lower tuition and open admissions, may provide a “smoother transition to the academic and social challenges that can arise in a university setting,” according to one research group.7 They may also offer tutoring and advising programs that four-year universities do not have, for example.

Students who focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (called STEM) are more likely than peers in non-STEM fields to stay in community college and are twice as likely to transfer to a four-year university.

Finding Comprehensive Autism Support Programs at College
Some autism experts have recommended that colleges and universities go beyond the required accommodations by offering social skills groups, counseling, vocational training, and life coaching to autistic students who are seeking a degree.

About six dozen colleges in 29 states have programs that do at least some of those things, according to a 2022 study.These programs may include academic coaching, mentoring, vocational help, social skills interventions, or social events—needs that disabilities services offices usually do not address.

Some of these autism support programs are free to students, but most charge an extra fee, beyond tuition. The average fee was $3,500 per semester, according to a study published in 2020.9 Scholarships and state vocational rehabilitation agencies may subsidize costs for some students.

College Options for People Across a Wide Spectrum
College is available to students across the autism spectrum, including those who do not receive a traditional high school diploma.

Students with intellectual disabilities can receive federal financial aid to attend a comprehensive transition and postsecondary (CTP) program at more than 150 two- and four-year colleges in 42 states, according to ThinkCollege.net. The programs provide academic, vocational, and independent living skills.

ThinkCollege.net also lists scores of other educational and vocational programs for students with intellectual disabilities. These non-CTP programs are not eligible for federal financial aid, but they may be funded by school districts and vocational rehabilitation agencies for students with IEPs.