Post-Secondary School Program for Students on the Spectrum

State funding for educational programs for students over the age of 21?

Sounds too good to be true, especially in light of general realizations about when everything isn't as shiny anymore when it comes to adult services. An article in the June 26th Contra Costa Times describes the two-year-old College Internship Program for young adults with Asperger's and similar disabilities in Berkeley, CA. Students share

... two-bedroom apartments in downtown Berkeley, cook cooperatively and attend morning classes together.

Each day starts with a reframing exercise, and a series of questions — am I hungry, tired, angry, depressed, anxious? — that serves as a sensory check-in. Students grade themselves in each area and discuss how they might cope by getting more sleep, eating a better breakfast or being more gentle and forgiving with themselves. It's an exercise, Miller notes, that might stand everyone in good stead, not just these young adults.

There are tutoring sessions, social peer counseling, and career and executive functioning classes, none of which carry a small price tag, not with a staff-student ratio of one to one. About 95 percent of the California students' tuition is covered by Regional Center funding — the same funding that helped cover their special education costs in high school.

For actual classwork they head off to lecture halls at Berkeley City College, Holy Names, Peralta College and other local campuses.

Students can also take online courses at local colleges. Tuition is $38,500.00, plus room and board, and also college / vocational courses; assistance with 95% of costs would certainly be helpful.

Some previous posts here on college for students on the spectrum are here, here, here, here, and here.