Further Resources
In doing the research for this website, I have read a lot of books with advice about transitioning to college dealing with students on the autism spectrum. Six, to be exact, and that's not counting the countless others that didn't deal with college directly, such as books discussing ASD and social skills, romantic relationships, anxiety, careers, and more. At this point I have an entire bookshelf just for ASD-related books. Buying so many books is not exactly easy on anyone's wallet, and while I was driven initially by the need to find advice and help my sister, having read all of those books, I think it's safe to say that you don't need to do the same.
Here are some of the books which I found most useful. Not all of them have been incorporated into the website yet, but their advice was so helpful that they certainly will be. Each comes from different perspectives - parent's, counselor's, college personnel's, and adults on the autism spectrum. I think having such a well-rounded perspective of this is actually more beneficial than just reading the parent's perspective over and over. As parents, a parent's perspective is something you're already familiar with. However, being able to help your child from a counselor's perspective, navigate through the college personnel's perspective, and understand your child's perspective, in my opinion, is far more beneficial than simply being able to see one viewpoint. Besides, no matter the perspective, these books really were the best of the best. I highly recommend reading them and adding them to the library of your local autism support group.
#1: The Parent's Guide to College for Students on the Autism Spectrum
- To the point and realistic, I found this book to be chock-full of advice for transitioning from high school to college, finding the right school, and more. To me, it has further credibility because it was written by parents who are autism professionals. If you only buy one book, buy this one.
#2: Developing College Skills in Students With Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
- This book comes from a mental health professional's point of view. It does a great job of discussing how to help your child develop skills necessary for college and put them on the path to independence, and I found it quite helpful.
#3: Students with Asperger Syndrome: A Guide for College Personnel
- This book reads like a companion piece to book #1. Yet again, the book has a great deal of information to offer, along with an insightful view into how college personnel see the parents of autistic children. Be careful - it may be like looking into a mirror! Again, the focus is on independence and touches on problem areas students may run into during college.
#4: The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships: Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism
- This book has little, if anything to do with college, although its contents are applicable and you'll find them incorporated into the website. That said, it honestly just blew my mind. One would think that after growing up with my sister for eighteen years, volunteering with and mentoring students with autism the better part of my life, and having already read countless books about autism, I would have understood autism and its ramifications. I was proven very wrong when, in a peripheral search of information to use in this website, I found a book that took my knowledge to a whole new level and enabled me to appreciate autism and my sister's perspective more than ever before. It was written by Temple Grandin and Sean Barron, which lends it extra credibility, and was honestly the best, most insightful autism-related book I've ever read. I highly recommend it.
Here are some of the books which I found most useful. Not all of them have been incorporated into the website yet, but their advice was so helpful that they certainly will be. Each comes from different perspectives - parent's, counselor's, college personnel's, and adults on the autism spectrum. I think having such a well-rounded perspective of this is actually more beneficial than just reading the parent's perspective over and over. As parents, a parent's perspective is something you're already familiar with. However, being able to help your child from a counselor's perspective, navigate through the college personnel's perspective, and understand your child's perspective, in my opinion, is far more beneficial than simply being able to see one viewpoint. Besides, no matter the perspective, these books really were the best of the best. I highly recommend reading them and adding them to the library of your local autism support group.
#1: The Parent's Guide to College for Students on the Autism Spectrum
- To the point and realistic, I found this book to be chock-full of advice for transitioning from high school to college, finding the right school, and more. To me, it has further credibility because it was written by parents who are autism professionals. If you only buy one book, buy this one.
#2: Developing College Skills in Students With Autism and Asperger's Syndrome
- This book comes from a mental health professional's point of view. It does a great job of discussing how to help your child develop skills necessary for college and put them on the path to independence, and I found it quite helpful.
#3: Students with Asperger Syndrome: A Guide for College Personnel
- This book reads like a companion piece to book #1. Yet again, the book has a great deal of information to offer, along with an insightful view into how college personnel see the parents of autistic children. Be careful - it may be like looking into a mirror! Again, the focus is on independence and touches on problem areas students may run into during college.
#4: The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships: Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism
- This book has little, if anything to do with college, although its contents are applicable and you'll find them incorporated into the website. That said, it honestly just blew my mind. One would think that after growing up with my sister for eighteen years, volunteering with and mentoring students with autism the better part of my life, and having already read countless books about autism, I would have understood autism and its ramifications. I was proven very wrong when, in a peripheral search of information to use in this website, I found a book that took my knowledge to a whole new level and enabled me to appreciate autism and my sister's perspective more than ever before. It was written by Temple Grandin and Sean Barron, which lends it extra credibility, and was honestly the best, most insightful autism-related book I've ever read. I highly recommend it.