The School Year: Tips for Success for the Autistic Student
Return to school is a great time to teach students about balancing their life schedule based on what their nervous system needs. Here are three of my most common recommendations for the autistic student.
1. Create a Balanced Schedule
Many students feel pressure to take on advanced classes, extracurriculars, and maintain a packed schedule. However, for autistic students, managing a heavy academic load can quickly become overwhelming. It’s essential that they learn to to balance the demands of school with their mental and emotional needs.
Consider Regular Classes Instead of Honors: Honors or advanced placement courses might seem like the path to academic success, but they often come with increased expectations and workload. For autistic students, the stress from these classes may outweigh the benefits. Standard courses may offer a more manageable pace, allowing them to focus on learning without the added…
In that age group, I would look online for "autism coaches." There are more and more online coaches with multiple years of experience who work with adults on executive function and life skills. This is also sometimes covered in the counseling setting, depending on the skills and background of the counselor and what the needs of the client are. In addition, there are some groups diving into online services for "autism counseling" ... sometimes including social online groups, life skills groups, etc. I heard that Prosper Health has offerings in many states now and is trying to branch out into groups. They have individual counseling and I believe they work on every day skills. I don't have a specific place that I would recommend. I feel like I am hearing good things out there but the landscape keeps changing and I haven't kept up with who is doing what. But I can say that the video options for this training are increasing significantly. Dr. Regan