New Guide Helps Staff and Instructors Understand and Deal With Students With Autism

03-24-2010 — 05-30-2014: Professors are often baffled by the unusual behavior and social skills of students on the autism spectrum. That's why Wisconsin Technical College System faculty members recently received a 60-page guide. It's designed to help them understand these students and any situations they may encounter as a result of autism spectrum disorders. "The purpose of this guide is to provide the staff and others at Wisconsin Technical Colleges with useful tools and strategies for dealing with the increasing number of students on the autism spectrum on our campuses, so that they can create a positive educational environment," said Tom Heffron, the education director for disability services and financial aid at the WTCS. To assist faculty members on Aims Campuses the Disability Access Services office has added this link to our website for full access. Because the guide is dense, faculty members aren't expected to read it from front to back. Rather, the guide was meant to be kept as a reference that can be pull out if a faculty member suddenly finds that they have a student on the spectrum in one of their classes or if they are experiencing issues related to a student with an ASD.

The document includes basic information on ASDs, and particularly on Asperger syndrome, since it's often the most commonly seen form of ASD in the college setting. There are sections on accommodations for students with ASDs; language and strategy skills for instructors; and helpful hints related to behavioral, emotional and sensory issues. Other sections address how to handle meltdowns and issues related to personal safety on campus. Toward the end of the guide, there are real-life scenarios that faculty and staff may encounter related to these students, along with strategies for handling them.


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