By Sam Huber
As someone on the autism spectrum who has also coached ASD college students, I have noticed that there is this “I am an outsider” feeling. That’s because an ASD person needs accommodations to complete his college courses, making our college experience seem somehow different from everyone else’s. For example: at Lebanon Valley College, I had someone read my exam questions to me and explain to me what the professor was asking. In the beginning this made me feel like I was being treated differently from my classmates. However, my improved test grades made me realize that I did need the extra help. But asking for help and accepting help wasn’t easy for me, which leads me to a question: How can an ASD student comfortably get what he/she needs? The best solution requires both a student advocating for him/herself and a professor willing to make accommodations for him/her with sensitivity.
In high school I was a good student, but I still struggled with self-advocacy. This is often what makes it hard for the autistic student to make the transition between high school and college; the college classroom is not geared towards people on the spectrum and there is a lot less individualized attention given to the students by the professor. In my experience, I had to learn to wait until after class to advocate for help I needed, instead of being that student who kept interrupting class by raising his hand a million times, which often would upset my professors. I remember that a professor in my freshman year, was worried that this kind of behavior would alienate me from my peers for being too needy.
The most sensitive professors understand that ASD students learn differently and accept that they need specific kinds of help; professors should make it clear to ASD students that it’s their job to deliver it. First, it’s important that ASD students know exactly when and where they can ask for help; if a professor isn’t clear about that then the student should certainly ask. The professor setting up regular office hours is important, of course. The other key thing that professors can do is clearly state times that students can ask questions. For example: the professor can ask that students hold their questions until the last ten minutes of class. Also, a professor may allow students to email him/her questions that they may have.
There is the possibility that an ASD student may need more consistent hands-on help than a professor can realistically give. This can lead to tricky territory between the professor and the ASD student. The professor often does not want to offend an ASD student by offering a tutor, which could be perceived as “special help.” But a professor can acknowledge to the ASD student that college is hard and that struggling with understanding or keeping up with assignments is common, and by gently suggesting “a tutor is an older student helping a younger student with his assignments.” Preferably the tutor is someone who has already taken the class (and possibly has ASD as well); who knows what the professor expects from assignments; and can reframe the coursework on an assignment-to-assignment basis.
To all the ASD college students out there, I want you to know this: There are no outsiders to a good professor, and students should be able ask for what they need. The song remains the same to both students and professors, which is the thrill of learning and teaching no matter what style works in the end.
Sam Huber is an author, speaker and advocate. He and his wife live in the greater Philadelphia area.
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