Here are tips to help ensure as smooth a transition as possible to attending college or a technical school. For more details and tips, check out the Milestones Postsecondary/College Tool Kit.

One of the benefits of college is you can pick one or more courses to help you explore what you are interested in and adjust to college. Test the waters. You don’t have to be in school full time. The exception to this is if you are seeking financial aid or scholarships they may require being a full time student taking at least 12 credits.

Do you have a timeline for how fast you want/need to graduate that will be a factor in your number of credit hours per semester? Explore what your options are. Taking fewer classes especially in the beginning can be helpful.

Tips for Before College or Technical School Starts

Before school starts, register with your college’s disability services office, providing them with a copy of your most recent Evaluation Team Report (ETR) and Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan. The college disability office may require a letter from your medical professional that provides your official diagnosis of autism and any other medical conditions and how they may impact your functioning in school and/or living on campus. This letter can help pave the way for receiving accommodations.

Here are tips for steps to take before starting college or technical school:

• Schedule a meeting with the disability office to ensure you are properly registered with them, that they have all the documentation they need and to find out which accommodations and services you can receive and how to access them. Establish who your main contact is including if you have a disability staffer you can turn to for counseling.
• If your college does not offer an accommodation you feel you need, ask if it is possible. The Milestones Postsecondary/College Tool Kit includes a list of potential accommodations.
• Watch for various forms the college/school is likely to ask you to complete over the summer, usually through a secure online portal with a user ID and password. They are likely to send you reminders via email.
• If you are requesting housing accommodations like having a single dorm room (rather than having a roommate), ensure you are clear on the process and what you need to do. This usually involves both the disability and housing offices.
• Ask Disability Services if they offer priority registration so that you can register earlier and get the classes you need.
• Find out when class registration for the first semester is and who you can meet with for advice on courses to take, and online registration and useful web pages to help you plan. Registration for fall semester may be early in the summer depending on the school.
• Think about your capacity for class load in terms of how many and which kinds of classes you can handle, especially at the beginning when you are adjusting to school. Do you have a timeline for how fast you want/need to graduate that will be a factor in your number of credit hours per semester? How many credit hours minimum per semester you need to take in order to satisfy your loan or scholarship requirements?
• Find out if your school offers counseling services which can be helpful during stressful times including the transition. Ask how to access them and whether there is a cost or a limit to how many sessions are provided.
• Find out when college orientation is held and if you need to register for specific events. If college is out of town, check on dorm accommodations for the orientation or if your family will travel together and stay in a hotel.
• Get to know your campus. Practice how you will get there and to your specific class locations once you know them. Plan your routine and how long it takes to walk from building to building.
• Decide on your meal plan. Will you eat all your meals in campus dining halls or will you want to have some food in your dorm? Check out the food options and where they are offered.
• Work on independent living skills, for example, doing laundry, budgeting spending money, taking any routine medications on a schedule and waking up on time.
• If you have prescriptions, make sure you have a plan for getting them during the school year, especially if you are away from home. Also for making doctors appointments if there are specialists you see regularly.

Tips for College Orientation and the First Year

Walk around campus learning where things are such as the disability office, campus bookstore and student union. Once you have your courses selected, walk your schedule at least twice before school starts so you are confident about where you are going.

Learn what your meal options are in relationship to where your classes and dorm are. If appropriate, which food options are part of your campus meal plan? If you have limited time between classes, ask if there are quick eating options nearby such as a boxed/bagged to-go lunch.

Using School Services and Accommodations to Help You

Schedule consistent meetings with the disability office to ensure any problems can be handled in a timely fashion. Begin the first meeting with asking how you will access accommodations for classes and for living in the dorm and activities, if needed.

Before you and your parent(s) say goodbye for the semester, visit the disability office and have them sign a consent form so they can talk with your parent(s).

Make sure you understand how to access each of your accommodations and whether you need to give each of your professors or teachers official notification from the disability office of them with paper forms or through an online portal.

Plan on buying or renting each of your textbooks and if available, whether you prefer them in printed vs. e-book version. Some schools offer an accommodation to obtain books in e-version or through adaptive technology, which usually starts with asking your disability services office.

Transitioning to college is an exciting, busy time that includes nervousness and anxiety. Learning how to plan your time in what may be the most independent environment you have experienced can be stressful. Take advantage of college counseling and academic supports. Use coping strategies that have comforted and relaxed you in the past. Sensory toys and items like squeeze balls can be helpful.

Watch for signs that you are getting overwhelmed and learn how to use coping strategies, so you build that self-awareness. Ask for help when something is difficult.

Adjusting to the Dorm and Daily Routine

If a roommate is assigned, get to know them and discuss responsibilities and expectations. Try to contact them ahead of school starting.

If you are getting a single room as an accommodation, ensure that there are planned ways for you to regularly interact with others so that you don’t end up sitting in your dorm room all semester. Also, try to keep your dorm room organized and clean so you can find things and feel comfortable.

Plan your sleep schedule so that you get ideally 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. It can be tempting to stay up late whether studying, socializing or gaming in the college environment, but will you be able to get to your first class on time and function well the next day?

Balancing School, Social Activities and Relaxing

Explore clubs and activities that interest you and other opportunities to socialize in ways that are most comfortable for you. If commuting, try to join one club or group to stay social and active on campus. Some universities have special services for commuting students.

Balance time for studying, social activities and quiet time to unwind in addition to your time in classes. Think about what works for your needs and best functioning while meeting your school requirements and goals.

It is common for autistic young adults to have challenges with executive functioning, which are a set of brain functions including organizational skills, working memory and self control. To learn more, read this related article in the Milestones Autism Planning (MAP) Tool.

Impact of Sensory Issues on School

Are there things in the various classrooms, eating, or larger school meetings (such as auditorium) environments that are harder for you because of sensory issues that you can ask school to help you with? Sounds of people screaming and moving quickly around in hallways between classes, or a crowded auditorium with many people talking at the same time, echoing/clashing sounds and loud microphone with static can be difficult for autistic individuals. Wearing headphones or earplugs may help.

Discuss your sensory issues and other needs with the college disabilities office and what strategies and accommodations might help. For example, if the lights in classrooms bother you, you could discuss using wrap around glasses in class. This might be something you or the disabilities officer lets the teacher or professor know.

If noisy spaces bother you, an accommodation of taking your exams in a separate testing center where sounds are limited can be helpful.

Think about which food options will work best for your sensory needs and whether you will bring or buy.