Jane Thierfeld Brown & Lorraine Wolf 
The Parent’s Guide to College for Students with Autism 

Sending a son or daughter off to college is daunting and fear-provoking experience for most parents, but if your child has an autism spectrum disorder, the challenge is magnified many times over. Even high-functioning students with excellent academic preparation face difficulties in higher education, primarily related to communication, social skills, and sensory-based issues. For many, the accommodations and special interventions that supported them in high school will no longer be available on a college campus. This parent-friendly book, made especially so because it is written by parents, who also are autism professionals, takes the fear and mystery out of the college experience. Learn how to select the right campus, how to work with Disability Services staff, what legal protections apply, how to prepare your son or daughter to be an effective self-advocate on campus, what assistance can be reasonably be expected from residence hall managers, faculty, and much, much more.

Table of Content

Introduction 1


Chapter 1 Where Have You Been and Where Are You Going? 7


Chapter 2 Finding The Right College 27


Chapter 3 Applying for Admission 51


Chapter 4 Getting Your Student to Campus 63


Chapter 5 Laws Families Need to Know 79


Chapter 6 Who’s Who on Campus 99


Chapter 7 The Incoming Freshman 109


Chapter 8 Working With Disability Services 121


Chapter 9 Academic Issues Your Student May Encounter 129


Chapter 10 Housing and Residential Life 141


Chapter 11 Student Health – Physical and Mental 163


Chapter 12 Social and Extracurricular Life 179


Chapter 13 Life after College 187


Conclusion 199


References 203


Recommended Readings 205

About the author

G. Ruth Kukiela Bork, MEd, is past founder, dean, and director of the Disability Resource Center, Northeastern University in Boston. She serves as an adjunct lecturer on disability for the Physician Assistantship, the Counseling Psychology, the Rehabilitation and Special Education, and the Psychology Programs at Northeastern University. In addition, she has served as director of student services at a private high school where she implemented changes to prepare families and students for transition from high school to college. Ms. Bork’s professional involvement in disability affairs and advocacy spans 38 years. She has written and spoken on a variety of disability-related topics ranging from employment of students with disabilities, supporting international students with disabilities, coordinating and providing support services in higher education, and high-school-to-college transition of students with disabilities.