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Material Type | Library | Call Number | Suggested Age | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Book | Searching... Cabell County Public Library | 616.85882 P | Adult | Searching... Unknown |
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Summary
Summary
Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger Syndrome is both a practical and a personal account of one ASD student's successful experience of going to college.
This accessible book focuses on how to get there and stay there: deciding to go, how to get in and how to get the most out of it. Ann Palmer advises parents and professionals how to prepare the student for the transition from school and home life to a new environment and educational challenge, and how to support them through potential problems such as academic pressure, living away from home, social integration and appropriate levels of participation in college. She offers helpful strategies that will encourage and inspire parents and students and show that college can be a suitable option for students with an autism spectrum disorder, as well as the basis for a successful independent life later.
This book is essential reading for any parent considering college as an option for their child, disability service providers in colleges and for ASD students themselves.
Author Notes
Ann Palmer is married with three children, one of whom, Eric, was diagnosed with autism when he was two years old. He is now 24. She has 13 years' experience working with families of individuals with autism at Division TEACCH (Treatment and Education of Autistic and related Communication handicapped Children). Ann coordinated a volunteer parent mentor program that provided support to over 800 families in North Carolina. In her current role as Director of Chapter Relations for the Autism Society of NC, she coordinates over 40 parent support groups throughout the state. She is also the co-author of Parenting Across the Autism Spectrum: Unexpected Lessons We Have Learned, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers. This book was the 2007 Autism Society of America's Outstanding Literary Work of the Year.
Reviews (2)
Kirkus Review
Palmer relates a humble, gracious story of squiring a high-functioning autistic son to college. She claims no expertise in autism, but she has drawn vast experience from raising her son Eric--all the mistakes, surprises and learning involved. Because autism encompasses such a wide spectrum, she describes Eric's particular circumstances--his trouble seeing another person's perspective, his needs for quiet, solitude and order--so that other parents of autistic children can find areas of common ground. The story starts with Eric in grade school, how Palmer found special-needs teachers, worked him into a public school setting, picked classes, accelerated him when he was achieving and found alternatives when he stumbled. She chose her battles with administration and teachers wisely. Once she discerned that Eric wanted to try college, she thoroughly addressed questions of self-awareness, disclosure forms, Eric's capacities for self-help, orientation, time management and exploiting resources. There's plenty of practical information in these pages, particularly about the college classroom environment: sitting in the front, taping lectures, tutorials and study groups, informed advisors, keeping in touch but avoiding suffocation. And she does this by being tuned in to Eric, with no formula other than caring when confronting each new hand. A story that rings with love and support, and a drive to help Eric achieve his potential through meaningful, appropriate challenges. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal Review
Owing to vast improvements in therapies and diagnosis, high schoolers with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) have the option of going on to college. As a case in point, Palmer shares the story of her son, Eric, who was diagnosed with ASD at age three and after many years of therapy attended college. Interweaving personal experiences like preparaing Eric for college with general information and resources results in excellent guidance for ASD students in high school or college and their parents. Of particular note are the chapters on support strategies (accommodations that can be made for the students), self-awareness/self-disclosure, and links for resources on disabilities on campus. Palmer has worked with professionals at the acclaimed Treatment and Education of Autistic and Other Communications Handicapped Children and Adults Program in North Carolina; her book makes an excellent complement to Judith Cohen's Succeeding with Autism: Hear My Voice. Strongly recommended for all academic and public libraries with ASD or education collections.-Corey Seeman, Univ. of Toledo Libs. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
