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Autism & College: Autistic Culture, UDL, and Student Voices

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Originally published on Stairway to STEM by stairwaytostem

At a Glance

  • When we talk about folding autistic and differently-abled students into community colleges and STEM careers, what we’re really talking about is best practices for everyone.
  • It follows that when our most disadvantaged students’ needs are met, we are leveling the playing field for all, with or without a “documented need.” Thank you for believing in students like me.

Stairway to STEM Contributors Elinore Alms, Justin Robbins, Sara Sanders Gardner, and Susan Woods present at the 2018 Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Conference in Washington, DC. They give an overview of autism in college. They discuss autistic culture and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is a pedagogy that supports all learners, including students who have an autism diagnosis. Finally, Elinore and Justin share their perspectives as students. They explore the challenges and rewards for autistic students of attending college. For more on autistic culture, read Autism 101: Autism Cultural Responsiveness for Improved Interactions.

For more on universal design, start with Autism, STEM, and UDL: What is Universal Design for Learning? CAST is another excellent resource for UDL materials.

To hear more from Elinore, try How to Use Your Phone, Calendar, and Daily Planner to Master Your College Schedule: a Video for Autistic Students

To hear more from Justin, try Student Reflection: Transitioning from High School to College as an Autistic STEM Student

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