After my son graduated from high school, the two of us (it’s truly a joint effort) worked REALLY hard to transition from high school to the world of adulthood, a scary and exciting place with no road signs.
So many parents describe the time after high school, when they no longer can rely on schools to support their kids, as falling off the cliff. I want to help parents take A Great Leap over that cliff. It can be done.
This newsletter discusses the lessons that I’ve learned while moving my son with Level One autism from high school to adulthood. Because I’m a former college professor, I figured out how to “hack” the community college to work for him. I toured college programs for people with autism, studying the disability support system, explored social groups for young adults, and more.
And now I’m going to share that information with you. I’ll tell my own war stories and help new parents learn the ropes. Topics will include:
Why you should not let your child graduate from high school?
What’s an 18-21 year program?
What life skills should you promote at home?
The bursars office, syllabus, office hours and other key terms that your student needs to know
How do you write an email to a professor?
What is the office of specialized services and what can they do for you?
A Great Leap now offers a mix of free and paid newsletter. With a subscription, you’ll support my writing and learn stuff.
Nobody prepares you for what’s waiting after high school, if you’re a parent of a special needs kid. But I’ll tell all.
Bio:
Laura McKenna, PhD is an autism and education advocate with over 30 years of experience in education policy. With a PhD in Political Science with a specialty in education policy, she has held faculty positions at Columbia Teachers’ College, Ramapo College, and Hunter College. She writes about education and autism for the nation’s top newspapers and magazines, including The Atlantic, USA Today, and Edutopia. Locally, she organizes bowling trips for young men with autism and runs a Facebook page for over 800 parents, teachers, and the community in Ridgewood, NJ. She is also the parent of a 21-year with autism.
She is the CEO and founder of The Autism College Connection — a new business that supports parents with the transition process. I offer webinars, newsletters, and private consultation services. Sign up for that free newsletter here.
Her publications about autism include:
My Autistic Son Didn’t Have A Prom Date. What His Brother Did Next Was Beautiful. HuffPost, June 2021
OPINION: Marching band sets the right tempo for many special-needs kids,The Hechinger Report, January 13, 2020
How a Supreme Court Ruling Could Affect Special Education, The Atlantic, March 23, 2017
Notes: When Kids Choose to Sit Alone, The Atlantic, September 15, 2016
Notes: Making Schools ‘Humane’ for Everyone, The Atlantic, September 9, 2016
Notes: Less Silence about Silence, The Atlantic, September 6, 2016
When Kids Sit Alone, The Atlantic, September 2, 2016
Sesame Street’s New Brand of Autism, The Atlantic, November 5, 2015
Her publications about higher education include:
Opinion — Many Families Aren’t Sending Their Kids to Small Liberal Arts Colleges Anymore. Mine Isn’t, Either. Here’s Why, The 74, March 20, 2019
How Does a College Grad End Up at a For-Profit Technical School? It’s All About the Job Market — and the Value of a Bachelor’s Degree, The 74, January 9, 2019
The First in Their Families, College Bound: Against the odds, seniors from this New York City school are attending and finishing college. Edutopia, April 9, 2018
Why Colleges Are Embracing the #NeverAgain Movement, The Atlantic, March 2018
How Hard Are Professors Actually Working, The Atlantic, February 2018
Why Students Are Still Paying So Much for College Textbooks, The Atlantic, January 2018
The Unnecessarily Mysterious Cost of College, The Atlantic, September 30, 2016
The Cost of An Adjunct, The Atlantic, May 26, 2015
Dr. McKenna’s professional website is here.
