EDUCATION
ow do you keep track of classes and
3. H
assignments?
Paper planners and Google Calendar were the
most common choices.
1. “Google calendar, tons of post-its, exchanging
email with the teachers.”
2. “I always print off my schedule in the beginning of the year and check it often.”
3. “I write down deadlines, meetings, etc. in a
planner.”
4. “I used a paper planner until grad school.”
5. “I have a big dry erase calendar on my house
where I keep my class work and schedule.”
6. “A planner book and remember to keep track
of what time it is.”
7. “I keep a daily planner. Some professors email
their students about class times and projects
due.”
Executive functions like organization and prioritization are often a struggle for autistic students. Consider using the same method of organization that
worked in high school. Check into how the college
tracks assignments. Talk to the school to see if there
are any support programs specific to these skills. Autistic students are not the only ones who struggle
with organization and prioritization as freshman in
college so many schools have workshops or other
programs for incoming students.
4. How do you handle stress?
The most common statement was some variation
of, “I don’t.”
1. “Tons of stimming. I have sound-muffling
headphones that I keep in my bag with me
constantly.”
2. “This is a skill I have developed with age and
with finding a therapist who was willing to focus on my need for coping tools.”
8. “Google Calendar on my phone.”
3. “Spending time alone in low sensory environments, especially nature.”
9. “Whiteboard with assignments, calendar with
deadlines and events.”
4. “Depends on the type of stress and the situation.”
10. “Sticky notes, sticky notes everywhere.”
Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 44
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