Tips for people with Asperger's to succeed in college

[ZM90]

Hi, I have Asperger's syndrome. I was diagnosed with it at age 15 in 2005 by a high-school teacher. I did okay my first semester of college because most of my classes had me doing the work inside the classroom. I'm now having trouble in college because when I go home my video games and politics distract me from doing my homework, I am also very disorganized and forgetful at times. Does anyone know any tips for someone with Asperger's to succeed in college? I'm in a rough spot right now when it comes to college due to my lack of interest, procrastination, disorganization, and forgetfulness.

[LuckyLib]

1. ZM, there's help out there for you. Virtually every college has an office

for students with disabilities. At my university, it is an amazing, welcoming place where folks find understanding, help across a number of areas, and best of all, strategies for getting yourself focused and organized. Connect with that office, find a counsellor there who will work with you over the course of the next few semesters, and start the success train moving! You can do it! You are among thousands of students, with and without Asperger's, who struggle to get and stay focused early on in college. The lure of the internet, friends, and the newness of college can be too much. There are strategies for getting your days organized so that you have the time you need and want for socializing and internet activities. Good luck!

[SheilaT]

2. I wamt to repeat what Lucky Lib has said.

Please, please, please, be willing to seek out the help you need.

In recent years colleges have gotten much better at help students with various disabilities, which wasn't quite so true even a decade ago.

I also want to suggest that you especially make use of any services that will help you organize, stay on track, get all of your work done. Having some kind of routine is important.

My son with Asperger's was extremely reluctant to use the help offered him and wound up flunking out of two different colleges, despite being incredibly smart. The story does have a happy ending however, as he completed a CAD (computer aided design) degree in 2010 and is currently working in that field in an engineering firm and doing extremely well.

[KamaAina]

3. The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network (ASAN) just published a manual on this

http://www.navigatingcollege.org/

[Odin2005]

4. Talk to your college's Disability Services.

[hunter]

5. How's it going?

Took me nine years to graduate from college, before modern meds...

dx Aspergers, major depressive disorder.

[AverageJoe90]

6. Hey man.

I don't have Asperger's myself(though misdiagnosed as such.....North Texas schools seem to be pretty subpar in the psychiatrics department...or at least, Garland's schools were.), but I do share of a few of the same problems....except maybe for the lack of interest part(I do have ADD....sad to say, but it's kinda obvious to anyone who gets to know me, or at least those who don't have an overly stereotypical view of the condition).....and a few self-esteem issues as well.

[CerebralDreams]

7. I have Asperger's myself.

I have Asperger's myself, and find that it's easiest to do my work at the school itself. You could go to the library, or if your department has a 'lab' for doing homework, that could work too. At my school there's a math lab and a computer science lab - that's just in the building I take classes. I know there's an English lab as well, where people go to write papers.

You should definitely look into on-campus places to do homework. Also, don't be discouraged if you get distracted - I do all the time, but I find that it's best to just stick with it.