News and Knowledge

The Harvard Review of Psychiatry recently highlighted a significant upsurge in the number of

people with autism spectrum disorders attending college in its summaries of the latest findings in ASD research. As a result of that upsurge, more and more colleges and universities are offering programs that support college students with autism.

Even so, academic pressures and newfound independence can still create challenges for these students, especially during their initial adjustment to college life. Add in trying to explain an Asperger syndrome or autism diagnosis to professors and teaching assistants, and the experience can be downright overwhelming.

To help make this process easier and to support self-advocacy, OAR created a 15-minute video, Understanding Asperger Syndrome: A Professor’s Guide. First released in April 2008, its purpose is to educate college professors, teaching assistants, and other instructors about what it means to be on the spectrum. The video provides an overview of “reasonable accommodations” and discusses teaching strategies that can help these students succeed in the classroom and elsewhere on campus.

With support from the Schwallie Family Foundation, OAR produced this video in cooperation with the Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Project (GRASP) and Pace University in New York City. Students on the spectrum can share the video with their instructors by providing a link to either the OAR Web site or YouTube channel.

For more information about autism educational resources for self-advocates and instructors, contact Kimberly Ha, programs and outreach associate, via email or 703-243-9762.