PARENTAL ADVICE
Sensory issues do bother me. I’m especially bothered by irregular,
unusual sensory input, like a blinking light or a fan or air
conditioner that isn’t working right and is making clicks.
I try to soothe myself by distracting myself by focusing on
something else.
Dr. Moore: That’s interesting. I’ve found that some
young adults with autism prefer to live alone. What
makes a dorm appealing? They can be noisy, and of
course, you have to share your space. Does sensory
overload concern you at all?
Cosette: I like the idea of being right on campus. It
will be easier to get to class. And I think it’s one of the
safer options living in the city. Plus, a dorm will have
more structure than living on my own. It will be more
organized. There will be more rules that will make it
easier for me to adapt to a strange city.
A roommate shouldn’t be a problem. They have a
form you fill out, and you say what type of person
you are, and they match you with someone similar.
I will say I like to be clean and quiet, go to bed ear-
ly, and don’t like to party. I don’t like it when people
do stupid stuff like leave their clothes on the floor
or smoke weed or do nonsense. They can’t bring a
bunch of friends to get drunk. And I like not to have
years of dishwashing crud stuck on the sink!
Sensory issues do bother me. I’m especially both-
ered by irregular, unusual sensory input, like a blink-
ing light or a fan or air conditioner that isn’t working
right and is making clicks. I try to soothe myself by
distracting myself by focusing on something else.
If it’s a light, I’ll move and put my back to it. If it’s a
noise, I will focus on one voice or maybe a painting
on the wall.
I also have some sensory habits. I will tap my fingers
or rub my elbow. I need tactile input.
Dr. Moore: You have a good sense of what will work
for you, both with college and with the sensory is-
sues. Some parents reading this may have teens who
are capable but afraid to try college. Do you have
any thoughts about the transition from high school
to college?
32 | Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 74
Cosette: Starting first with community college
worked for me. It wasn’t exactly like high school, but
it wasn’t like transitioning right to university. Some
of the professors were laid back and flexible, but
some had you write longer essays or wanted you
to study more than in high school. They were more
involved in your work and gave you more direction.
You couldn’t just sleep through class!
Dr. Moore: Did anything about college surprise
you?
Cossette: College was more complicated than high
school, but not by much. The canceling of classes
was confusing. There aren’t substitute teachers in
college. So sometimes a class is canceled, but you
don’t know until you get there!
Also, in college so much is online. The quizzes and
your homework are all there. And you can schedule
your classes yourself, and you can split them up the
way you want. You don’t have to go to classes on Fri-
days if you don’t want to. I never had to!
Dr. Moore: What advice would you give other stu-
dents who want to try college but might be nervous?
Cosette: I’d tell them to try to make friends—to join
clubs at college. The first day, sit in the quad with your
Nintendo DS system. Bring a deck of cards and start
to play solitaire in the community center and maybe
someone will approach you. If you make friends, it
will help you smooth through the transition.
Dr. Moore: As you know, socializing is hard for some
people on the spectrum. How did you learn to do
that?
Cosette: My mom helped me get a job, and that
helped. She saw a job opening, and I applied. I’ve
been working since April 2017. I do product demon-