getting help

“Advocating for yourself and stepping outside of your comfort zone—those are two really important things. When you step into the adult world, there’s not always going to be someone there to help you through.”

—James

getting help

“Advocating for yourself and stepping outside of your comfort zone—those are two really important things. When you step into the adult world, there’s not always going to be someone there to help you through.”

—James

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FROM FRIGHTENED FRESHMAN TO AWARD-WINNING FILMMAKER—How getting help opened up my world

by Joshua Pitney

I was surprised when my parents finally told me I was autistic since I had little understanding of what autism was…When I read about characteristics associated with autism, it was as if everything about myself made perfect sense now.

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occupational therapy FOR NEURODIVERSE STUDENTS—WHAT'S THAT?

by Karen Keptner

In my work as an occupational therapist, I’ve encountered many neurodiverse students with difficulties adjusting to college life. Here’s a crash course in the basics of what OT is, and how some OT could help you as you navigate college life

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PODCAST EPISODE 25:

What kind of supports should you seek? Accommodations? An OT? Both?

For college students on the spectrum, it's hard to predict what might be challenging. Some folks are academically capable, feel comfortable with accomodations, and find social stuff difficult. Others may be easy with social interactions, but find it hard to manage time and keep classwork organized. Procrastination can create stress and anxiety. One way to get extra support is to find an OT. OTs are occupational therapists - trained to help anyone navigate their days by figuring out what's not working and collaborating with you to come up with strategies to make it easier. Karen Keptner is an OT and a professor of OT, and in this episode she talks with Katharine about what kinds of support OTs can provide, how to find one on or off campus, and how to pay for services with insurance.

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meet maria from student services

meet maria from disabled student services

As Associate Director of the UC Riverside Disabled Student Services office, Maria describes how they get ‘down in the trenches’ with disabled students, helping them with all facets of college life.

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meet maria from student services

meet maria from disabled student services

As Associate Director of the UC Riverside Disabled Student Services office, Maria describes how they get ‘down in the trenches’ with disabled students, helping them with all facets of college life.

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aniella's STORY

PART one:

meet aniella

Aniella, a senior at UC Riverside, reflects on her low point Sophomore year, when she disclosed her diagnosis and got help.

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diagnosis disclosure: courage and consequences

by Dr. Jan Blacher, Ph.D.

Many students on the spectrum struggle with the disclosure question, espeially when completing college applications. Here’s my take:

“The accommodations were pretty simple. I got time and a half, which is basically extra time on my exams and priority enrollment in my classes. So I didn’t have to do the whole hunger games style fighting that the freshmen had to do.”

—Guillermo

“The accommodations were pretty simple. I got time and a half, which is basically extra time on my exams and priority enrollment in my classes. So I didn’t have to do the whole hunger games style fighting that the freshmen had to do.”

—Guillermo

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PODCAST EPISODE 9:

“WHEN PROFESSORS ARE HELPFUL, IT REALLY HELPS.”

In this episode, Caroline talks with one of her professors at Cal State Fullerton, JudelMay Enriquez, about the ways they worked together. Caroline was struggling in a methods and research class. Even with accommodations, she found she got more support by visiting her professor during office hours to let her get to know her, and her learning style better. She also picked up strategies for keeping up in the course. They also discuss how professors can reach out to students on the spectrum who may benefit from academic support.

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self advocacy 101 for school and beyond

by Caroline

Self advocacy means speaking up for your needs. It means to reach out to make sure all of your needs are met. And, self advocacy may mean something different in context—here are some hacks:

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meet ilene from life project

The head of the Life Project at Cal State Long Beach, and peer mentor to Jonathan, Ilene is on the leading edge of efforts to better accommodate autistic students at college.

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meet ilene from project life

The head of the Project Life at Cal State Long Beach, and peer mentor to Jonathan, Ilene is on the leading edge of efforts to better accommodate autistic students at college.

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PODCAST EPISODE 11:

coaching from the sidelines

Parents of students on the spectrum are often very involved because that is the only way to make sure school works for your child. Jackie Lorrainne began navigating her son James' school experiences as soon as he was diagnosed in elementary school, and all the way through his college graduation coming up in May of 2022 from the University of Missouri at St. Louis. Along the way she found James a therapeutic middle school and high school, she compromised with him about college choices, and, coached him over the phone about his dorm situation once he got there and eventually decided to transfer to a different university.