An ASD is a neurological disorder that impacts the ways that an individual experiences and interacts with the environment, and the most substantial impairment often occurs in one’s ability to relate socially (Carley, 2008). Sensory integration difficulties, communication and social deficits, reliance on routine, limited interests, motor skill problems, and co-morbid psychological disorders contribute to the challenges of a university environment for individuals with ASD (Carley, 2008). According to Freedman (2010) students with ASD often isolate themselves in order to avoid social missteps and confusion in response to the life-long rejection that stems from their differences (p. 133). As the population of individuals with ASD participating in higher education increases, student affairs professionals must understand both the nature of ASD and strategies for supporting students on the spectrum (Wolf, Brown, & Bork, 2009; Zager, Alpern, Mckeon, Maxam, & Mulvey, 2013). 

Brown (2012) concluded, “Information about programs, services, and reasonable accommodations in higher education that support students with ASD remains incomplete” (p. iii). In the absence of empirical research, anecdotal evidence can provide practitioners with recommendations for supporting students. For example, according to a college student with Asperger’s in Prince-Hughs’ (2002) Aquamarine Blue 5, one of her most significant frustrations was the fear of both neurotypical (NT) individuals and individuals with ASD questioning one another.  She wrote:
To the NT person: Ask questions if you want to talk to the AS/HFA [Asperger’s Syndrome/ High-Functioning Autism] person. Ask as much as you need to understand the AS person. To the AS/HFA person: I think the only way to overcome your own intellectual egocentrism is to ASK the other person in the hope of understanding the meaning of words this person puts together in a special context. (p. 64).
Harpur, Lawlor, and Fitzgerald (2002), Carley (2008), and Grandin (1995) also highlighted the importance of students and practitioners asking questions.  Although asking questions would likely not be identified by the office responsible for determining reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with ASD or other differences in ability, strategies like these can substantially impact the quality and success of a student’s experience (Zager et. al, 2013).  

Much of my knowledge about ASD has come from reading books written by or for individuals on the spectrum. My personal favorite, Asperger’s from the Inside Out (Carley, 2008), was written by an incredibly articulate and witty individual on the spectrum. In the book, the author shared his personal stories and real-world advice for use by individuals on the spectrum as they work through the messiness of adulthood. I also spent more than sixty hours volunteering at a school for individuals with severe developmental disabilities in Bowling Green, OH. There, I interacted most frequently with adults with ASD who experienced substantial impairment in several of the areas described above. Lastly, a student who belonged to a student organization for which I was the advisor disclosed her ASD to me late last year. We had numerous conversations about her experience and strategies and supports that she found helpful. All of these interactions together have informed my personal knowledge about ASD and the material that I share with others during training session and conference presentations.

As I job search, I am looking for an institution that offers support for students on the spectrum; I hope to one day include regular work directly with individuals on the spectrum as part of my occupational picture. I will endeavor, too, to be involved in whatever support my next community offers. Although I have substantial knowledge about ASD, I have much still to learn and wish to address those deficits through continued reading but also with personal work supporting students on the spectrum. This is a population of students that, again, is growing quickly; I believe a working knowledge of current ASD support strategies has never been more essential.



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