Agreed, Mom2aphysicsgeek. Parents of a kid on the spectrum who is thinking of college must be brutally honest with themselves about their child’s deficits. They must examine exactly what supports they are offering their child, and what supports their child’s school is offering them. How will their child’s needs be met in college?
When I was in that position, I foolishly believed parents who talked about jumps in maturity, and how a kid will rise to the challenge. I wanted to believe those parents, and so I did. Several colleges along the way, colleges I paid a lot of money to, also fed me the same line, and I swallowed it.
Parents of autistic kids-- don’t listen to that happy talk. Be honest with yourself about your child. You’ll save a lot of heartbreak. Your child is not going to magically be able to do in college things he couldn’t do as a high school student. Colleges are not going to offer all the support they say they will offer, even if you pay them extra to do it.
I just heard from a friend whose child is flunking out of the University of Denver, despite being enrolled in their special extra cost Learning Effectiveness Program. I hear these stories over and over.