The following is an attempt to examine choices for higher education from a medical and therapeutic perspective that recognizes the social experience of people with AS and ASD. One phrase catches it all, “Not about Us, Without Us”.
Medical/Therapeutic: Understanding Diversity
The presentation on higher education for our kids got me thinking about choices. First, a New York Magazine article by Andrew Solomon (5.25.08) summed up the issues of AS and ASD as follows: activists want to celebrate atypical brain function as a positive identity, not a disability. Others see this approach as deluded. The main criticism of this article is its black and white approach to a “spectrum” issue. Read it HERE. A 2013 article & others HERE as found.
Question where does the diversity issue stand in 2016? How does it affect our choices in selecting higher education and related services for our kids?
Do I want to select a university (or alternative) that defines my kid as a disability or are there schools out there that are more clever with the DSM?
Medical: Working with the DSM-5
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) has a one-page summary of the move by the American Psychiatric Association toward the full “spectrum” view. This page briefly represents this alternative to multiple sets of names associated with the diagnosis of autism. The page summary is available HERE. A brief article describing the controversy and Susan Swedo, MD, of the National Institute of Mental Health defense of the policy, is HERE.
Other Choices
Help with recommendations on alternatives to college. For example:
Community Colleges
What if employers who can define the skills they need best were encouraged to help colleges develop a curriculum that met those needs? The Community College Partnership Tax Credit, which is part of the President’s fiscal 2017 budget plan, would do just that. To qualify for the credit businesses would donate funds for equipment, instruction or internships related to programs at local community colleges in areas such as health care, energy, and information technology. The budget calls for a $2.5 billion tax credit, and over five years.
A recent article in The Economist describes the revolution in some universities toward hands-on learning, something many schools have put aside for the cheaper lecture/paper model.
This outfit provides readers with three articles a month to review content. A new service is their Learning.ly program of online continuing education choices. Explore the resource and read the article HERE.
Other Choices
What employers and schools are strongly interested in AS and ASD employees?