News and Knowledge

On January 25, OAR released “Finding Your Way: A College Guide for Students on the Spectrum.” Since then, OAR has distributed more than 500 hard copies to individuals with autism, their parents, and programs that serve young adults with autism pursuing or attending college, including high schools, offices of disability supports, college readiness programs, and transition programs.

The Guidebook

Finding Your Way provides information, tips, and experiences from people on the autism spectrum as well as highly qualified professionals to support success in college. The guide addresses critical topics such as:

• Changes in disability supports from high school to college
• Self-advocacy and disclosure
• Academic supports and accommodations
• Establishment and maintenance of daily routines and structure
• Social relationships and conflict resolution
• Jobs, internships, and financial aid

The immediate feedback has been overwhelmingly positive with comments like these:

• “OAR did a fantastic job with this guide!” says Russell Lehman, a self-advocate and speaker. “It truly warms my heart to see a group such as OAR that is so passionate about their work. You’re truly making a difference in people’s lives.”
• “What I liked most was that it never spoke down to the reader, which I feel like so many “helping” resources can do,” says an anonymous college graduate with autism. “I wish I’d had a book with such clear explanations of the things I would face in college.”

The Companion Microsite

College Central, the guide’s companion microsite, offers additional articles, checklists, personal stories, advice columns, and more. If you have written an article that provides advice, features your personal story, or describes self-advocacy tools, please submit it to programs@researchautism.org. If the content is useful to our audience, we will publish it on College Central.

Spread the Word

Over this year, OAR will continue to provide copies to individuals upon request and seek partnerships with transition- and college-related programs to distribute this valuable resource. If you know of any programs that wish to receive copies of “Finding Your Way,” please share this link or contact us at programs@researchautism.org. OAR provides this free resource as digital downloads and hard copies.