Abstract

The BASICS College Curriculum presents a hands-on approach to learning essential life and study skills for college students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This book focuses on the transition to college, developing key academic skills, navigating campus social life, and living away from home for the first time.

Ideal as a textbook for ASD college programs and suitable for students to use for self-study, it teaches independence skills, self-advocacy, organization, stress management, and social skills. Each chapter has a lesson-based progressive structure, providing valuable information and advice for the student, useful diagrams, practical exercises and workbook components that can be filled in at home or in class. Self-assessment tools ensure the skills from each chapter can be reviewed and adjusted as necessary.

The BASICS curriculum is anything but basic. This comprehensive curriculum helps teachers, parents, and disability providers to apply detailed support to students with ASD with little preparation. It also serves as a self-paced workbook for students on the spectrum. The authors have created the perfect comprehensive tool kit for supporting students on the spectrum transitioning to college!
Lisa Meeks, PhD, Director of Student Disability Services, Schools of Medicine, Dentistry and Graduate Studies, University of California, San Francisco
Michelle Rigler, EdD, is Director of the Disability Resource Center at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She created and runs their MoSAIC Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Having completed a Master's Degree in Special Education and worked for a number of years as a special education teacher, she embarked on a career in Higher Education in 2004 and received a Doctorate in Education in Learning and Leadership. Amy Rutherford is Program Coordinator for the Disability Resource Center's MoSAIC Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She has a Master's Degree in Mental Health Counseling with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorders. Emily Quinn is Access Coordinator for the Disability Resource Center and serves in the role of coach and instructor for the MoSAIC Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Special Education.
This is a wonderful resource for colleges and universities starting programs for students on the spectrum or starting groups. From academic skills, career and major choices to social skills and hygiene, the authors have developed forms and diagrams that help students to understand the vague and non-verbal direction of college education. The 'BASICS' will help students to become self-aware, develop skills and graduate!
Jane Thierfeld Brown, EdD, Director, College Autism Spectrum, Assistant Clinical Professor, Yale University, Child Study Center