College for ASD/ADD DS
![[Post New]](/jforum/templates/default/images/icon_minipost_new.gif){kind=icon}
Anonymous
| My ASD son did 2 years at Montgomery College then transferred to UMD. The disability counselors at Montgomery College were great and really supported him through his time there and with the transition. He was a lot more independent when he got to UMD and he is able to work with his teachers to make sure his accommodations are met. he will be graduating with his BS in CS in May. |
Anonymous
|
Look at smaller, less competitive publics in your state. Longwood, Radford, maybe Mary Washington and Christopher Newport come to mind for Virginia.
I suggest public, because merit aid will be sparse or nonexistent, and you don't want to blow $50k if it turns out he isn't ready. A big financial cloud will only add to his anxiety. I also would strongly suggest that you keep a kid with this profile within driving distance, so that you can see him in person regularly. |
Anonymous
There is no such thing as University of Indiana. Maybe you are talking about Indiana University. But I wouldn’t send my kid with ASD there. Too big. He would be lost. |
Anonymous
|
https://www.topcollegeconsultants.com/ is a great resource for parents of kids with ASD and LDs etc. They have a FB group.
Check our Edinboro U and Slippery Rock U in PA. Both are public and have autism support programs. Marshall U in WV is another. |
Anonymous
I live in PA and have a son with ASD and anxiety who is taking a break before college but he went through the appllication process so I am very familiar with a lot of programs. The PA state schools are going through a transition and Edinboro is merging with other schools. I believe Slippery Rock is staying by itself. This does not include Penn State, Pitt and Temple which are state related schools. Regardless, the program at Slippery Rock is staffed by grad students and i did not feel it would have provided enough support. It is very new. Also, people told me that it is not a nurturing environment. Edinboro used to have a vibrant program for physical disabilities and funding was cut. I really liked Marshall. The town is cute and the size of the school seemed very manageable. I liked the autism program. It is on the list for the future. Mercyhurst is also very good. University of Hartford doesn't have a specific ASD program but they provide a lot of support. There are a lot of schools in Florida but state schools in Florida have gotten very hard to get into. There are many many lists around that you can look at. I called many schools to find out what the special programs provided. My ds would need social support - if the program only provided academic support, that wasn't enough. Oh, another great program is at Western Kentucky. Ds got in but it required mandatory study halls for a certain number of hours every day which ds would never do. You really need to do a lot of work yourself. I suppose I could have used a consultant but I know my kid better than anyone else. Good luck! |
Anonymous
One more thing: my ds really didn't want to be in a "special program" but he needs the support of a special program because he isn't really self-motivated. It sounds like your kid may need less support. As a pp said, the SALT program at Arizona is supposed to be excellent but I believe it is more focused on LD than ASD. |
Anonymous
Great info on your search from PA, PP! My kid is just starting high school (ASD/ADHD, 2e, super smart but lacking 'activities of daily living' skills). I was impressed by Edinboro and Slippery Rock on line and the fact that they are public/cheap is attractive. I was more wary of Marshall b/c of its locale in isolated WV (almost all white? a shock to the system after diverse DC). I had read of Edinboro and Mercyhearst, but with the $10K off for DC residents, public is attractive! But I like that Mercyhearst has a dorm for kids in the AIM program. Top College Consultants...haven't used them as a consultant but it's got a great list of schools w autism programs: https://www.topcollegeconsultants.com/autism-in-college/ This info can be hard to find. Yup, W KY is on there. Marshall seemed to have more of a deficit model...whereas Bellevue College in WA seems more neurodiversity-affirming...but I can't imagine sending my kid a planeride away! |
Anonymous
| Just a caution that any ASD support program can be an additional fee at a college. So budget accordingly. I’d also recommend keeping him close to home. Our college boy had a new and unexpected mental health condition bubble up. We were very thankful to be close. |
Anonymous
|
Read up on Marist, though I do think it is good to keep kids close if they are prone to anxiety.
Consider Colleges That Change Lives—at least the community will be supportive, with lots of individual relationships with professors. That story from PP above (about Montgomery Community College) was very encouraging. I think you should consider that seriously (I.e., your kid would be close and potentially graduate from U of MD). |
Anonymous
| McDaniel. |
Anonymous
. 100% |
Anonymous
| Problem is that those don’t have ASD support programs. maybe if living at home those would be ok. |
Anonymous
| Bumping for any new thoughts on this. |
Anonymous
|
I had ADHD/ASD kid at GMU. The autism program is another $5k cost. I think it might have worked for kid but had some additional health problems creep up. GMU was very difficult to work with during this medical issue. He has since transferred to a much smaller private school that is very supportive and has been great.
Definitely keep kid close to home!!! |
Anonymous
| GMU's MASI program. |