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Financial Aid Services for Students with Disabilities Dr. Amy Matthews, Kathleen VanderVeen, Michelle Rhodes Michigan Students with ASD Eligibility 16000 15,403 14000 Number of students 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000 1,208 0 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 # of MI Students with ASD by Age * Based on 2010 MDE, OSE-EIS Eligibility Count 1400 1225 1211 1200 1145 1137 1136 1030 1027 1019 978 1000 908 836 821 800 610 600 518 394 400 255 215 224 166 200 3 133 144 120 90 36 21 0 Age 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 Latest CDC Report If 1 in 110 children have an autism spectrum disorder… • The average elementary building will have about 34 children with ASD • The average middle school building will have about 6 students • The average high school will have about 14 students • The average college with 20,000 students? Triad of ASD Neurobiological disorder that impacts: • Processing • Attention and shifting • Basic social behaviors • Interaction with the environment • Learning Lord, 2010 Brain Differences in AS • Video Socialization Skills and Development Social Characteristics Limited appropriate use of nonverbal behaviors in social situations (e.g., eye gaze, gestures, body language) Difficulties recognizing and responding to subtle social nuances, cues, and unspoken messages Identifying and responding to people’s tone of voice, facial expressions, posture Autism is a Social Learning Disability • We are wired to read social information into everything • Social information is protective since it enables us to read social situations • We are experts on faces and emotions most of the time • Yawning (Senju et al., 2007) Social Challenges • Developing relationships often challenging • Social attempts may look like problem behaviors Social Characteristics Theory of mind is the ability to understand that others have beliefs, desires and intentions that are different from one's own “Because students with ASD appear “normal” and may have obvious talents and abilities, faculty and other students may easily become frustrated by behaviors inherent to the disability. This can lead to social ostracism and ultimately adversely affect learning” (Camarena & Sarigiani, 2009, p. 117). Aspergers - ABC News Part 1 Communication Skills and Development Communication • Facial expression may not augment communicative intent • Prosody may be flat or exaggerated and voice can be too loud or soft with rate of speech being too slow or too fast • Language can be repetitive, overly formal, idiosyncratic • Difficulty with reciprocal conversations Restricted and Repetitive Patterns of Behavior Restricted and Repetitive Patterns of Behavior • Narrow interest or highly focused interest – For example: numbers, sports facts, computers • Inflexible adherence to specific nonfunctional routines or rituals • Distress at unexpected changes Sensory Differences Associated with ASD • Not necessary in the diagnosis of ASD but virtually all individuals demonstrate sensory processing issues • Strong reactions to everyday sensations Autism Spectrum Disorders Sources of Anxiety • Sensory under- or overstimulation • Changes in schedule, routine • New people, events, environments • Unfamiliar task demands • Immersion in social settings • Teasing or bullying Autism Spectrum Disorders Symptoms of Anxiety • Pacing, motor over-activity • Perseveration –preferred topics or activities, questions asking • Increased self-talk • Social withdrawal/avoidance • Poor decision making • Decreased attention span • Outbursts Other Potential Issues • Academic challenges related to (Myles & Simpson, 2002): Extremely concrete, literal thinking Struggle with generalizing information Poor problem solving and organizational skills Other Potential Issues • Lack of attention to hygiene/appearance • Difficulties with emotional regulation (Laurent & Rubin, 2004) • Co-morbid mental health issues Relevance: Financial Aid Considerations • Transition to college may be difficult “. . . students [with AS] struggle with the transition to college not because they do not have the intelligence to complete the work, but because they lack experience in balancing their lives and developing the academic strategies they need for learning.” (Wenzel & Rowley, 2010, p. 46) Relevance: Financial Aid Considerations • Academic performance may suffer for various reasons • Completing college may take longer • Struggles with finding a job or preparing for graduate school Relevance: Interaction Considerations • Students may not self-identify • Concrete understanding of information • Receptive understanding • Understanding perspective of others • May not ask necessary questions • May seem non-compliant or unfocused • May become frustrated or anxious • Parents may want to be more involved Books on Going to College • Lorraine E. Wolf & Jane Thierfeld Brown (2009). Students with Asperger Syndrome: A Guide for College Personnel. Autism Asperger Publishing. • Sarita Freedman (2010). Developing College Skills in Students With Autism and Asperger's Syndrome. Jessica Kingsley Publishers. • John Harpur, Maria Lawlor, & Michael Fitzgerald (2004), Succeeding in College With Asperger Syndrome, Jessica Kingsley Publishers. • Ann Palmer (2005), Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger Syndrome: A Parent's Guide to Student Success, Jessica Kingsley Publishers. • Dawn Prince-Hughes, ed. (2002), Aquamarine Blue 5: Personal Stories of College Students With Autism, Swallow Press. Questions? Amy Matthews, Ph.D. Grand Valley State University Psychology Department; Autism Education Center [email protected] 616-331-3513 Kathleen VanderVeen Grand Valley State University Disability Support Services (DSS) [email protected] 616-331-2490 Michelle Rhodes Grand Valley State University Financial Aid Office [email protected] 616-331-3234