EDUCATION
5. “The right sensory input helps a lot. For me getting to listen to music I like, with headphones,
and deep pressure work the best.”
5. How do you motivate yourself?
Self motivation was another area where students
openly talked about struggling.
6. “I can cope well so long as I get some alone
time, and exercise, fresh air and occasionally
music are all helpful.”
1. “By thinking that I am worth living like any other person and that I can obtain a degree despite hardships.”
7. “Kitties, music, deep pressure.”
2. “I motivate myself by controlling my environment and planning daily time for intense exercise and nature.”
8. “This is a skill I’ve developed with age and with
finding a therapist who was willing to focus on
my need for coping tools.”
9. “Video games and reading.”
10. “Music. I joined Acapella and singing really acts
as a stress relief. I also bike a lot.”
3. “Scheduling everything (Including food, exercise and sleep) in my google Calendar with reminders helps, as does having people around
me to remind me to leave my room on occasion.”
4. “By using strong interests when possible in assignments and class choice.”
5. “Through a valuing of learning, the interest I
have in the subject and the excitement of the
long term goals I am advancing.”
6. “Ration Internet time.”
7. “By knowing what will happen if I’m not motivated and because I am a people pleaser who
is afraid of failure.”
8. “I reward myself with something I like to do if I
get a certain amount of work done”
9. “I have a government loan. If I drop out I have
to start to pay. I remind myself of that.”
Managing stress can be the single most important
skill for autistic students to master. Students who
are stressed can spiral into depression, lose focus, or
shut down. The most successful students know how
to identify the feeling of stress in themselves and
have created a place they can go to decompress. Students who have a plan and know what has worked
for them in the past are more likely to manage the
new demands of college.
It is also important to check into counseling services that may be available on campus. Some coping
methods may no longer work in college or the stress
may be much higher than expected. Students who
are willing to ask for help are more likely to succeed.
44 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 44
10. “Sometimes I give myself rewards when I’m
productive, like having a special food I really
like if I get most of the things done I wanted to
do that day. I have to remember that it’s OK not
to get everything done.”
Motivation is unique to each individual. For many
students self-motivation is all about doing work in
classes they don’t want to take or don’t have an interest in. It is important to choose as many classes
as possible where the subject is interesting. For students who are still in high school and know they are
not interested in a specific subject they can try to
‘test out’ of that subject through CLEP tests. Knowing that passing a test will keep you from having to
take two years of a subject you hate may be enough
motivation to study hard for the test.