MAXIMIZING SUCCESS FOR STUDENTS WITH AN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN GEOSCIENCE DEPARTMENTS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM 10 YEARS OF PRACTICE

The number of students entering college with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasing. As a result, there will likely be an increase in students with an ASD enrolling in geoscience courses as majors, minors, or for general education requirements. To maximize success for students with an ASD in geoscience programs, we have found from our own 10 years of working with this student population that there are four broad factors that should be addressed:

1) Campus and department environment. A campus-wide support network for both students and faculty needs to exist that includes strong communication between students, support staff, and faculty (and possibly parents while following FERPA). Faculty, administrators, and security also need education and training about ASDs. The degree to which a campus is supportive of students with an ASD will dictate the success of the other three factors and it needs to begin with school and department administrators modeling appropriate behaviors.

2) Classroom organization. Sensory stimulation (e.g., lighting, background noise) should be reduced if possible and having students with an ASD sit in front rows can help. Spacing tables/desks to maximize room flow, together with labeling work stations/drawers and reducing clutter, is also helpful.

3) Teaching pedagogies and assignments. Students with an ASD may have different processing rates for content than neurotypical students and may have difficulties with fine motor skills. Consequently, multiple ways of demonstrating course content mastery may be necessary while maintaining course rigor. Transitions are difficult and should be communicated when they will occur; maintaining classroom consistencies such as writing a schedule for that day’s class can aid transitions.

4) Academic advising. Students with an ASD may not self-advocate nor understand subtlety and may have difficulties with executive functioning and therefore need to be paired with a patient advisor who will take time to work closely with them. Advisors need to be explicit and not assume a student with an ASD will pull information from their peers like a neurotypical student may.

Implementing these factors into a geoscience program strengthens experiences for students with an ASD and is in line with demonstrated best practices for operating strong geoscience departments.