Supporting Students With Autism: What You Can Do Now Ohio Ahead Conference Miami University October 13, 2017

A Little About Us Heather Rando, M.Ed. Christy Jenkins, M.S. Associate Director, Office Of Disability Services Program Director, Raiders on the Autism Spectrum Excelling (RASE) Wright State University heather.rando@wright.edu Christy Jenkins, M.S. Accessibility Coordinator, Student Accessibility Services Autism Program Coordinator Ohio University jenkinc1@ohio.edu

RASE Coaching Program Conceptualization Identified need for services for students with ASD transitioning from HS to college Retention Difficulties Disruptive Behavior in Classroom and Dorms Decrease in support at the college level

Competency Domains Social Skill Development Time Management and Organization Study Skills/ Technology Resiliency Self-Advocacy

Framework and Vision Disability affirmative approach Independence-based model of skill building Accountability Confidence fostered through learning by doing “mistakes are okay and the way we learn”

RASE Coaching Program Implementation Pilot program beginning in August 2012 10 students and 5 peer coaches Enrollment for one full academic year Fall semester and Spring Semester Frequent meetings (up to 5 hours per week) between students and coaches to facilitate rapport and consistent opportunity for hands on learning

Ohio University Rationale Students with ASD have unique needs that were not fully addressed through typical academic accommodations Retention difficulties Behavior concerns Administrative drain on resources across departments Need for a “support” person Increasing number inquiries from prospective students and parents desiring an autism support program

Ohio University Benchmarking-Summer 2015 Surveyed 6 colleges and universities Mix of in-state, out of state, public, and private institutions Emerging themes: Mentoring component Address transition issues with academic, social, and living components Develop self-advocacy skills with instructors and other campus departments Problem solving skills Career prep—transition into the workforce

Ohio University Choosing STTAC Successful Transitions Through Academic Coaching (STTAC) Comprehensive transition support training package with best practices for supporting students with ASD Modeled after the RASE program at Wright State Includes everything you need to start a program Materials can be easily modified Includes consultation Can be done on a short timeline Well worth the investment!

Ohio University Implementation Pilot Program Fall 2016 Targeted in-coming first year students who self-identified with ASD 5 first year students, 7 coaches (coach pool) Coaches and students meet up to 5 hours per week Commit to one full academic year

Identifying Students Documented Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis Incoming New Direct from High School Students Students transitioning from another college/university Identified need in one or more of the key competency areas Also considered: level of independence academic background social skill development level

Identifying Coaches RASE-Wright State Ohio University Strong academic background; 3.0 minimum GPA Rehabilitation, Education, Psychology and Counseling majors targeted for recruitment Junior, Senior or Grad Student Status Demonstrated success in competency areas Interview Component Ohio University Strong academic background Recruited from Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Education majors Undergrad students who have completed at least one full academic year at OU Demonstrated success in competency areas Interview Component

RASE Coaching Program Coach Training Two day training in August conducted by the Coach Supervisor Day One: Training on coach guidelines, expectations and procedures Day Two: Training on best practices for working with students on the autism spectrum scenarios for role play, disability affirmative exercises

Supervision Structure RASE-Wright State Ohio University Weekly Small Group Supervision Weekly Coach Logs submitted to supervisor Meetings with coach and student; as needed and at beginning and end of term Coach and student meet together with supervisor to discuss goals and progress Weekly Logs Monthly Group Supervision Monthly Individual Supervision 2 on 1 meetings 1-2 times each semester; usually at the beginning and end Coach and student meet together with supervisor to discuss goals and progress

Program Coordinator Role Coach Student Parents

Coach Program Outcomes Objective GPA improvements Decrease in behavioral concerns/violations Increased retention rates Subjective High rates of satisfaction from students High rates of satisfaction from the coaches High rates of satisfaction from families

Student Feedback “She has been extremely helpful…(coach) has helped me become more organized, navigate college, how to talk to professors, how sign up and create a schedule that works for me, and overall made me a better person for knowing her. Everybody you meet changes your life for either good or bad and (coach) has changed my life exponentially. I am not the same person I was in the beginning of the first semester and I am thankful for that. I would have a much harder time without (coach).” – OU student “It was helpful having someone available to support me and guide me through the processes of scheduling classes, finding buildings, meeting with professors, navigating the dining halls, etc.” – OU student

Parent & Coach Feedback “He has made so much progress this year…For him to make it through this year was such a victory for him.” –OU parent “Thank you so much for selecting me to participate in this program! I have truly enjoyed getting to work with (student) and helping him develop fundamental skills to succeed in college. I have learned so much this year working with (student) and I hope he feels the same as well! It was such a unique experience, and I am so happy that I was able to make (student’s) transition into college a little easier. While I am sad to leave OU, it makes me happy to know I made an impact on someone else's experience here in Athens.” – OU coach

2017 Cohorts RASE-Wright State 25 Incoming Students 19 males 6 females 13 coaches 2 returning coaches 11 new coaches Rehab majors, Education majors, Counseling and Psych grad students Ohio University 7 Students (3 continuing; 4 new) 6 males 1 female 5 Returning coaches 1 New Coach Education, Communication Science and Disorders, and Child Family Studies Majors

Helpful Tips Identify and recruit campus partners Who is in your support system? (counseling, housing, career center, etc.) Talk about what you want to do—get “buy in” early! Consider what your students need Not one size fits all Start where you are with what you have Make adjustments along the way

Questions?