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Research Project Essay

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Gwyn Hubert

Prof.Weaver

English 2

April 24 2023

 

Why is it harder for Autistic People to go to College?

 

 

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a disability that affects development in the brain. It is genetic however the causes of it are currently unknown in the medical / scientific community. “ People with ASD can show symptoms as early as one years old” ( CDC  “ What is Autism Spectrum Disorder “ 1 )  . The most common signs of Autism are difficulty with socializing , Repetitive behavior and Differences in sensory processing ( for example ; sensitivity to sounds, lights, textures ). “ This disability affects 1 in every 54 children “ ( Teague 1 )( Pectu, Zhang and Li 1 )   and yet only 32 percent of people with ASD end up going to a two year College ( Pectu, Zhang and Li 1 )? Why is it hard for Autistic Students to thrive in Higher Ed when they did so well in High School?

 

The number of people with ASD ( Autism Spectrum Disorder ) has risen in the past twenty years, only 152 out of 2002 were diagnosed with Autism and as of 2016 the number has gone up to 1 in every 54. While there are programs in place to help people with ASD , most of those programs are for children under the age of eighteen ( Kolodner 1 ). While there are a few Colleges that have Programs geared toward Autistic Students, “ such as the REACH program at City University of New York” ( Kolodner 1 ), most Colleges do not , which leaves Autistic Students to go without support. A part of why College is so difficult for people with Autism is the College life aka the independent living at the dorms. In an Article written by Beth Arky and Ron J. Steingard “ Going to College with Autism “ ,” An Autistic Student by the name of Zoe Gross describes how difficult living independently for the first time is. To her, the responsibilities of simply taking care of herself is overwhelming, not to mention the chaos caused by changes in schedule and  school work ” ( Arky and Steingard 1 ).  The change in environment does not help much either. Another  reason is that people with Autism have a hard time fitting in with their peers, being deemed too weird ( due to their difficulty with conversation / social interaction ( inability to detect sarcasm / jokes / idioms and taking everything literally ) and ‘ odd behaviors’  (like stimming or hyperfocuses ) or even dangerous ( due to their meltdowns and overloads ) meaning people with ASD spend a lot of time ‘ Masking ‘ or doing their best imitation of a neurotypical person. This can lead to an Autistic person dropping out of College dropping out and only 15 percent of people with ASD graduating from a four year College ( Pectu, Zhand and Li 1 )  

Sensory processing is another issue with people of the Autism Spectrum, having either being overly sensitive or under sensitive with touch, taste, sound , smell and light which causes problems in learning and social settings. Bright lights , loud sounds and food textures are common catalysts for overloads and meltdowns. Aversions to touch and textures such as not wanting physical contact with other people or the feel of certain fabrics or certain styles of clothing are also super common in people with Autism. It is recommended by the Indiana Resource Center for Autism for ”  people with ASD to bring sunglasses , hats , ear plugs or a sensory device to class to help them cope ” ( Malone 1 )( Wheeler 1 ). Many people with ASD also have high stress and anxiety especially with big changes like going to College and potentially moving into the College dorms away from their parents. This stress tends to lead Autistic people into coping or soothing mannerisms known as Stimming ( short for self stimulation ) that seem strange or rude to others such as flapping their hands , chewing on clothing or going on a rant about a topic they are interested in. Experts like Ms.Karen Wang does not recommend discouraging stimming, saying that “ not only is everyone stimming but that getting rid of one stim will only make another to replace it “ ( Wang 1 ). So it is very difficult for people with ASD to transition from High School to College, since Students are expected to be a lot more independent and their schedules change drastically, which tends to stress them out thus making them stim and overload even more than usual.

There are ways to make it easier for Autistic Students to navigate the college campus and make the transition from High School to College much less difficult. Sites like the Autism Research Institute and Graduate Programs for Educators recommend on “  having documentation of their child’s ASD ( this advice is for parents ) , since a big reason that so many people with ASD  go without support is because they do not disclose that they are  Autistic to the School Board or Teachers though sites like the Autism / Asperger Network does not think that it matters unless the student want to explain strange patterns in their grades or explain why they might need to leave the room if they get overloaded and any other behavior that may seem odd to an Educator. It is also important to know what exactly is in the Disabilities Act and what accommodations they or their family members are entitled to for their Autism ( such as a single room dorm or more leniency on time )” ( Endlich 1)(Malone 1 ) . Having a Consistent schedule is also a huge help.  An Article by Higher Education Today ‘ College on the Autism Spectrum ‘ states that “ People on the Autism Spectrum do better when going to a Community College ( or any two year College ) due to the smaller campus, smaller student body and lower cost ( which puts less pressure on the student if they can not handle being in college and need to drop out ). It also helps that Community Colleges tend to be close to home, so that they have friends and family near them. “ ( Anderson 1 ) 

So to summarize this essay : Autism is a developmental disability that affects Learning, Sensory processing and Social skills. The main reason People with Autism have a more difficult time in Higher Education than in High School is due to lack of proper support after they reach the age of 18 and only a few Colleges have programs specialized for people with ASD. Ways to make it easier ; get diagnosed and have the documentation, disclose having ASD, make sure to have a routine and have a proper support system like family, friends or good teachers / professors. 

 

Sources

Rhetorical Strategies of Warren Wilson College 

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Took this picture myself when I was on Warren Wilson Campus during their Summer music program called the Swannanoa Gathering.

Summary  ( 88 words )

 

Warren Wilson College is a Liberal Arts College located in Swannanoa, North Carolina.  The Curriculum is a mixture of In-classroom learning, work and community service ( which is required for Graduation ). It was founded  in 1894  as the Asheville Farm School and became a 4 year College in the mid 1960s. It’s a small private College with twenty one Majors, most of them being Humanities and Social Science. The Methods that the College uses to try and convince College students to go their College is Pathos and Imagining readers. 

 

Analysis ( 907 words ) 

 

First thing the audience sees when they enter the site  is a banner that says “ We believe the World needs curiosity “. The College wants the audience of potential students and their parents to know that the school prioritizes learning and encourages a thirst for knowledge. Below it there is another quote that says ;  “ Our Philosophy ; Academics, Work & Service. The World needs curiously  insightful, experienced, and capable individuals and we’re ready to help you be one. “ followed by a button under it that says “ we’re different “ . This button leads to their academic page which elaborates on the values of the college. They state upfront that they expect extracurricular activities along with college work. This College is focused on making sure their students are well rounded and provide them with opportunities for them to gain experience. Below that there is a link to the list of Majors,Minors and Concentrates. There are only twenty one majors, there are over thirty minors and twenty concentrations ( concentrations being a specific focus in a major or field ). Despite the fact that there are only 21 majors, students still have a lot of options to study. Obviously when clicking on each major, the College gives a brief description about what the courses are about and what the minors and concentrations are and also shows a couple of classes as a preview. 

When clicking onto the Students’ Life tab, it starts with a quote about working hard and finding answers that says ¨ If you like to dive in, climb high, play hard, and never stop searching for the best answers to hard questions, this is the place for you. “ Once again making it clear that learning is a priority for the College. It is followed by information about the College Campus, including the hiking trails and the nearest city, Asheville. After that there is information about food and board. 

The College boasts that the food served in the Cafeteria comes from a farm run by the Students themselves. There are also two additional cafes, the Owl’s Nest, that serves coffee and snacks and the Vegetarian Cowpie that serves vegetarian, vegan and gluten free food, claiming that the students are the ones cooking the food. The College really emphasizes the quality of the food they serve and the fact that students are the ones in charge of the planning and cooking/ baking of the food. Seems like they are demonstrating that they care about the students’ health and preferences on what they choose to eat. The next set of links explain where they get their food from ( aka the links about their farm, gardens and local food sources ) and the people behind it. 

For the Housing, The College requires that the Students live on Campus for three years and can only live off Campus if they either completed ninety credit hours or is under the age of twenty one but only under certain conditions such as they are living with someone nearby, have a kid, or are completely financially independent. That Information is followed by a quote  by Kathleen Maloney “ When you are part of a community, your level of accountability for yourself and your surroundings heightens. It’s not just a random face cleaning your bathroom, it’s your roommate’s or your neighbor’s. Treating everyone in my environment as a human being like me regardless of what they are doing rather than a task or a service is something that has stayed with me.” Which seems to be advice to a student living away from home, possibly for the first time with people who are also living away from home possibly for the first time. The College gives the students a survey about their lifestyle, habits and interests  then tries to assign a room and roommate according to the results, once again showing that the Schools cares more about the students as people than grades and test scores.

Like other Schools, Warren Wilson College provides extracurriculars and sports to entertain students and give them an opportunity for growth. They also give ideas for things that students can do other than the weekends which is mostly play music, create art, appreciate nature and go to Asheville. 

Warren Wilson College does not have a specific religion that it is associated with in fact, the College encourages inclusivity and tolerance between people of different Religions. They call it the Interfaith journey where they allow religious groups to meet and provide funding rituals, holidays and festivities. Not everything about it is Religious and some aspects focus on just spirituality and ‘ finding one’s self ‘ through activities like yoga, hiking, and art. 

The College is a liberal arts College meaning it focuses on Art, Literature , sociology. They use Pathos to portray a welcoming environment with staff that focus on students and their personal interests. They care more about them than as a number or statistic. When looking at the Website, they are acting like they are talking to the Potential Student and appealing to their personal interests. They provide many opportunities for the students to gain new and useful skills which are appealing to students and their parents who are the target audience by using the Imaginary audience strategy , using language like they’re presenting to someone and trying to make a personal connection by using ‘we’ and ‘our’ in the text. Warren Wilson College is trying to be a homey and inviting, drawing in people that enjoy socializing and the arts.

Response ( 203 words )

 

I enjoy the atmosphere that the School is trying to give for the students ; a tight- knit community that cares about the students personal preferences. If Warren Wilson College were to move to Atlanta and I didn’t have to worry about money, I still wouldn’t go to it. My reason is that I want to focus on Foreign Language and I haven’t seen any foreign language programs. They do have Study abroad programs but based on the sample courses, I would have to be in a specific major to go to a specific country and The College does not seem to have foreign language classes let alone a major in foreign language ( which is just studying the language and culture ). Warren Wilson College focuses on Art and Music which is further proven by the music programs they have over the summer called the Swannanoa Gathering, which is how I know about the School ( my family, especially my dad,is involved in the Celtic Music community ). If I wanted to a major in something involving art, music or agriculture then Warren Wilson would be a great candidate but because I am majoring in foreign Language, Warren Wilson is not  the right College for me. 

Sources ;

  • “Warren Wilson College Webpage.” Warren Wilson College, 27 Mar. 2023, https://www.warren-wilson.edu/. 
  • Board, College. “College Board.” BigFuture College Search, https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/colleges/warren-wilson-college/academics.