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Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Kathleen Vahey

Wilmington University
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Abstract

Culture is the set of shared values, goals and practices that characterize an organization or

an institution. Early in the internship class, I had considered studying and researching another

culture. After reviewing the workbook, I decided to focus on students with autism. Students with

autism are supported throughout their education in Kindergarten through twelfth grade. College

however, is a different story. Few institutions offer services similar to what these students

experienced in Kindergarten through twelve, if any.

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Subject

I also chose this subject matter because I have two good friends who have children with

autism. One friend has two sons that are both autistic. The oldest, who is high-functioning, just

graduated from high school and will attend a university in the fall. The youngest needs additional

support and services. My best friend has three sons, the oldest of which is on the spectrum.

Watching these young boys grow up and watching their parents advocate for them in school,

year after year, made me want to learn more about it and see what is available for students with

autism in the college setting.

Background

Autism spectrum disorder is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder that impairs a child's

ability to communicate and interact with others. It also includes restricted repetitive behaviors,

interests and activities. These issues cause significant impairment in social, occupational and

other areas of functioning. (Mayo Clinic, 2017)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is now defined by the American Psychiatric

Association's Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as a single disorder

that includes disorders that were previously considered separate autism, Asperger's syndrome,

childhood disintegrative disorder and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified.

(Mayo Clinic, 2017)

The term "spectrum" relating to this disorder refers to the wide range of symptoms and

the severity of the disorder. Although the term "Asperger's syndrome" is no longer in the DSM,

some people still use the term, which is generally thought to be at the mild end of autism

spectrum disorder. (Mayo Clinic, 2017)

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Students with autism face unique challenges as they progress from high school to college.

Individualized Educational Plans (IEP) from the Kindergarten through Grade Twelve system

phase out. The IEP no longer applies for these students who have progressed to the college

setting. Parental involvement begins to wean. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

(FERPA), a federal law protecting the privacy of student educational records now apply.

Students over the age of eighteen can choose to permit or deny their parents access to their

education records, including billing matters and grades. (FERPA, 2017)

Graduating from high school and transitioning to college can be challenging for any

student. Coupled with being on the autism spectrum, adjusting to college life can be even more

difficult. Some students on the spectrum have the necessary academic skills to succeed but lack

skills in time management, social and organizational skills. Ensuring that a student has the

appropriate accommodations in this new setting is important.

Populations My Agency Serves

Delaware Technical Community College (Delaware Tech) serves a diverse community in

the region. People with varying backgrounds attend different levels of college coursework and

college preparatory classes.

Diversity and Inclusion is a huge initiative at the College. The College has dedicated a

college wide committee dedicated to diversity and inclusion. There are awareness workshops and

an upcoming student leadership conference on the subject as well.

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Populations History and Major Milestones

Diagnosis of children with the autism spectrum disorder is on the rise. It is unknown

whether this is due to better detection and reporting, or if there is a real increase in the number of

cases, or both. In 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data

on the prevalence of autism in the United States (U.S.). This study identified 1 in 68 children (1

in 42 boys and 1 in 89 girls), as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). (Autism Speaks 2017)

In March, 2016 the CDC released another study indicating that these statistics still remained

unchanged from two years prior. (Autism Speaks 2017)

It is important to note that 1 in 150 children identified in the first CDC report with autism

spectrum disorder are now adults. Some of these individuals are now thriving, but not all. Some

of these children need support for the remainder of their life. While there is no cure for autism

spectrum disorder, intensive, early treatment can make a big difference in the lives of many

children. (Autism Speaks 2017)

Many higher education institutions offer programs for students with autism spectrum

disorder. Other resources, such as individualized support and/or group settings are yet another

service provided at the college level. Some colleges offer specific programs for student with

ASD.
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Immersion Experience # 1 - Movie (I Am Sam)

The film that was reviewed was I Am Sam. (I am Sam) The main characters in this

movie are Sam and his young daughter Lucy. Sam is a mentally challenged, single father to

Lucy. The movie shows Lucy as a newborn baby who then grows up and attends school.

Sams neighbor, Annie, tries to help Sam with his young daughter. When Lucy is an

infant, Annie explains to Sam that babies need to be fed every two hours. Annie was able to help

Sam by telling him to tune his television channel into Nickelodeon, and named television shows

that would be on during the hours that he should feed Lucy.

Sam has the mental capacity of a seven-year-old. When Lucy reaches about age six and is

attending school and learning to read, the family crisis becomes more evident to the viewer. It

becomes difficult for Lucy to learn from her father as she gets older. Simply reading books

together becomes more challenging because of Sams inability to pronounce and understand

more complex words.

It is evident that Sam loves his daughter. He tries very hard to provide for Lucy and help

her learn and grow. He reads to Lucy and tries to encourage her with her schoolwork even when

he doesnt understand it himself. Sam displays real determination to keep his daughter and

provide for her in this movie. Sam has some support, including his neighbor Annie, and some

friends that rally around him. Unfortunately, Sams friends, who are endearing and try

desperately to help, are limited in their own capacities to help due to varying disabilities and

levels of life skills. While on an outing shopping for school shoes for Lucy, Sam doesnt have
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enough money for the purchase. His friends, who had come along for the shopping trip, pool

their money together to help Sam pay for Lucys new shoes.

It is evident that Sam needs additional resources and support. Although Sam has a job

during much of this movie, he could use some job skills, assistance with housing and

transportation and child care and recreational services for Lucy. It would also be beneficial for

Lucy to receive some homework assistance possibly from an after school program. The issues

raised in this movie relate to college students trying to find their own way in a new, exciting

setting such as college life.

Immersion Experience # 2 Interview (ADA Counselor)

The general theme of the interview was to gain more knowledge of the population of the

students with autism. There was discussion of how the College supports this student population. I

interviewed an ADA Counselor at Delaware Technical Community College. Although individual

student issues and concerns are protected under privacy and confidentiality clauses, I was able to

speak in general terms and interview the counselor to gain a better sense of how we serve

students with autism spectrum disorder.

The counselor I interviewed has been in her role for twenty years. Twenty years ago,

there were very few students with accommodations at the College. Today, the ADA counselor (at

just one campus) has well over 200 students that require accommodations. The number of

students with autism has grown greatly over those twenty years. (H. Statler, personal

communication, July 5, 2017)

The College ADA counselors work with Autism Delaware to ensure that we can offer

reasonable accommodations to the students. Workshops and training sessions are also offered to
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faculty and staff, to teach them how to work, better assist and understand the student population

with autism. (H. Statler, personal communication, July 5, 2017)

An accommodation plan is used to assist these students. It is the role of the ADA

counselor to work with the student to identify areas of growth between high school and the

beginning of college. Some students dont know how to label their difficulties in school. The

counselor works with the student to help determine what the student struggled with in high

school and to identify areas where the student had the most help. (H. Statler, personal

communication, July 5, 2017)

Some students need extra time, the ability to take an exam in the testing center, and oral

exam or alternate test design, a non-Scan Tron test, a test with no essay, or a test with no

multiple choice. Other students need accommodations with flexible test dates. For example, the

nursing curriculum requires all students to test on a particular date. A student with autism may

need to test on an alternative date or in an alternative setting. Some students need short breaks

while learning and/or testing. Some other students with autism may require a hard copy of the

lecture notes from the class. Some students need the ability to record the class lecture. (H.

Statler, personal communication, July 5, 2017)

The ADA Counselor sees many of the students with autism throughout the semester as

opposed to students with other disabilities. Many students requiring accommodations make an

appointment prior to the start of the semester and require little to no follow-up. Students with

autism often meet weekly with the counselor and require more frequent follow-up appointments.

(H. Statler, personal communication, July 5, 2017)

The ADA counselor hopes to see the students through to the next step. If at first the

students are not successful at the College in a degree seeking program, they can be referred to the
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workforce training department for training with particular skills. The continuing education area

offers many certificate and short-term training programs that are another great option for these

students. (H. Statler, personal communication, July 5, 2017)

Many of the students don't request accommodations right away. Often the faculty refer

the student to the ADA counselor. It is up to the student to inform the ADA counselor of their

particular need for accommodations. The student may or may not inform the counselor of a

disability that they may have, it is their decision. If they do not divulge the information, they may

miss out on services and accommodations that could have helped them succeed. (H. Statler,

personal communication, July 5, 2017)

Currently there is no particular program designed strictly for students with autism at the

College. Through my internship, I learned of a faculty member at the College that is interested in

starting up a support group for students with autism. There is hope for this program coming to

fruition sometime during the upcoming academic year to provide programs and or support/peer

group for students with autism.

Overall, the observations I have made of faculty, staff, public safety, etc. has been

supportive of our students with autism. The ADA counselor is extremely informed in this area

and it is evident that the legal department also tracks any new legislation that may impact

service(s) to this student population as well. Through the diversity and inclusion initiative at the

College, faculty and staff in general are becoming more aware as well.

Administration and Staff Training

There are normally workshops focuses on autism awareness offered once or twice a year.

Faculty are invited and encouraged to attend, however; it is not mandatory. Students are not

required to divulge their disabilities. The College is an equal opportunity employer.

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Funding

The agency does not receive funding to serve the population of students with autism.

However, the College is required by federal law to reasonably accommodate students.

Staff Sensitivity

The ADA Counselor that I interviewed is sensitive and aware of the needs of the students

with autism spectrum disorder. This counselor is non-judgmental and respectful of this

population of students. The ADA counselor works with families to help transition the students to

this new environment. The counselor encourages the population to become more independent. At

the initial appointments, the counselor works with the student and their families to present

information to demonstrate to the student and the family between the differences between high

school and college. The counselor encourages the students to be as independent as possible.

The College diversity and inclusion initiative, along with a newly formed committee, is

tasked with promoting awareness of both diversity and inclusion for the entire college

throughout the state. Additional training and workshops are being planned college wide for both

faculty and staff members.

Agency Program and Services

The College serves populations of diverse backgrounds. The College offers associate

degree programs, certificate programs, and a bachelors degree in nursing. Other programs are

also offered for students who wish to gain new skills for a career change, specific job skills,

computer skills, and more. Classes are even offered to students that are still in high school.
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Quality

Students with autism meet with an ADA Counselor to determine accommodations that

are needed. The College offers programs and workshops through DE Autism to promote

awareness in the classroom. These workshops are geared towards faculty.

The College is assessed internally by the Educational Support Outcomes Assessment

(ESOA) committee. Each non instructional area must set goals and objectives that are reviewed

and approved by the committee. The achievement of these goals and objectives are reported

annually to review for compliance.

Effectiveness

The number of students with autism at the College has grown in recent years, as

compared to the general population and its own increase in children with autism. Each individual

student works with an ADA Counselor to identify areas of support and accommodations.

If a student is referred to the counselor, and refuses or denies to disclose their disability,

they may miss out on necessary accommodations. It is the students responsibility to make an

appointment with the ADA counselor at the start (or prior to the start) of each semester so that

the student may be provided with reasonable accommodations. The ADA counselor works with

individually with each student to determine their individual plan.

Efficiency

The College has a relationship with outside agencies that offer workshops and most

recently expressed an interest in a support group for students with autism. Because Delaware is a

small state, many of the students are already known to the autistic community and/or agencies in

the area.
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The College has relationships with both Autism Speaks and Autism Delaware to provide

services, workshops and trainings for the College. The ADA counselors and the legal department

work to stay informed of any legislation that may affect these students or the services provided to

these students. It is imperative for the College to stay compliant with any changes in regulations.

There are many resources and alternative services of delivery that are available to these students.

NOHS Standards for Cultural Competence

According to NOHS, STANDARD 38 Human service educators are committed to the

principles of access and inclusion and take all available and applicable steps to make education

available to differently-abled students. The agency, Delaware Tech, is guided by four values

providing access, opportunity, excellence, and hope for every student. (DTCC 2017) The College

is also committed to providing employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities.

During my internship, I had the opportunity to observe the treatment of the clients

(students). Both the counselors and staff displayed behaviors and characteristics that were

welcoming and indicative of the Colleges mission. Through the dedication and professionalism

of the staff, students (and their families) were offered access, opportunity, excellence and hope.

As an open access higher education institution, the student population is not only diverse, but

provides coursework at several different learning levels. The College offers basic/fundamental

Math and English classes, pre-tech/pre-college courses, as well as college level coursework to

incoming students. By providing these different learning levels, more students are provided

access and opportunity to a college education. Free tutoring, learning support services are, as
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well as alternative learning and testing services are available to the students, dependent upon the

reasonable accommodation plan that has been set forth for each of these students.
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References

Autism Speaks. Retrieved from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/prevalence

on June 29, 2017.

Delaware Technical Community College. Retrieved from

https://www.dtcc.edu/academics/college-catalog/general-information on July 6, 2017.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Retrieved from
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html on July 10, 2017.
Kiser, P. (2016). The Human Services Internship (4th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Mayo Clinic. Autism Spectrum Disorder. Retrieved from
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder/home/ovc-
20337866 on June 29, 2017.

National Organization for Human Services. Retrieved from

http://www.nationalhumanservices.org/ethical-standards on July 8, 2017.
Penn, S. (Michael DeLuca), & Nelson, J. (2001) I am Sam [Motion Picture] U.S.A.
Vahey, K. (2016). I am Sam. Unpublished manuscript. Wilmington University, New Castle, DE.