AHEADD – “Achieving in Higher Education”

Recently, Executive Director of AHEADD, Carolyn Komich Hare, has made a very important change that will affect our relationships with our students, as well as better communicate the type of services AHEADD provides. Since 2002, AHEADD has been the acronym for “Achieving in Higher Education with Autism/Developmental Disabilities.”

Many of our students do happen to have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, Asperger’s Syndrome, or other developmental disabilities. However, we also support just as many students with other learning differences, nonverbal learning disorder, attention deficit disorders, etc. We have found that for each of these populations, supporting our students in the areas of executive function and social skills have been equally relevant. Thus, although the AHEADD Model has not changed, nor has our acronym, we have dropped the “with Autism/Developmental Disabilities.” AHEADD will now be known as “Achieving in Higher Education.”

AHEADD is a community-based organization supporting students at the colleges and universities of their choice in the following regions:

• Pittsburgh, PA
• Albany, NY
• Long Island, NY
• Boston, MA
• Portland, ME
• Austin, TX
• Baltimore, MD
• Washington, DC
• Miami, FL
• Bakersfield, CA
• Raleigh, NC
• Northeastern Ohio
• Philadelphia, PA

Learn more about each location, as well as the schools our staff can support students here: LOCATIONS

If the school of your dreams is not located in one of these regions, learn more about remote supports here: REMOTE SUPPORT

Asperger’s Are Us in Boston!

Asperger’s Are Us is the first sketch comedy troupe consisting
entirely of people diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome. They use their
intense focus to annihilate the conventional rules of comedy, and
constantly surprise their audiences with absurdist situations that
appeal to autistics and sympathetic neurotypicals alike. This is a
collection of their best sketches, new and previously seen, and
represents the culmination of their first year of DIY comedy writing,
directing, and rehearsing. This show is appropriate for ages 15 and
up, but all ages will be allowed.
There is an interview with the troupe in this week’s Somerville News:

http://www.thesomervillenews.com/archives/16129

Thursday June 23, 2011 @ 8:00PM
Somerville Theatre
55 Davis Square
Somerville, MA
$10
Advance tickets available at the theater or
purchase tickets here
like them on Facebook!

Ronni and Temple Grandin at GRASP benefit

On May 24th, 2011, Ronni Aronow attended GRASP’s (The Global and Regional Asperger Syndrome Partnership) annual benefit in NYC, where she was able to speak personally with Temple Grandin, GRASP founder, Michael John Carley, as well as many other adults on the spectrum. It was a wonderful evening celebrating the achievements of several people who have been instrumental in helping people with autism be able to reach their fullest potential. Talks focused on science and research (Dr, Gerald D. Fischbach), support (Robin Keller, ESQ.), and personal example (Dr, Temple Grandin).

Ronni is Regional Program Manager of AHEADD, Long Island. Read more about the area, and schools with which we work here>>.

Philadelphia Inquirer Article

Colleges welcome students with Asperger’s

Increasingly, there are more support options for young adults as they transition to college. The Inquirer’s philly.com mentions a number of options in the Philadelphia area, including AHEADD support for college students. Read the article “Colleges welcoming students with Asperger’s” here>>>>.

Updates and Fundraising

College Readiness Group:

This Tuesday marked the second meeting of AHEADD’s College Readiness Group, which is geared to help prepare families and high school students with learning differences that are considering post-secondary education. The group is designed to help students and their parents gain the skills they will need as they move into post-secondary education. Group members will practice daily living tasks, engage in social practice, and learn self-awareness required for self-advocacy skills necessary for college.

College Social Skills & Thinking Group at Slippery Rock University

During the Fall 2011 semester, Slippery Rock University and AHEADD are working together to host a Social Skills & Thinking Group once a week on SRU’s campus. Please email aperschke@aheadd.org for more information.

Kentucky Derby Party:

On May 7th, AHEADD hosted its first annual Kentucky Derby Party at Doc’s Place. The event raised over $2,000 for our scholarship fund. Our scholarship fund helps to offset the cost of AHEADD support and allow for more students to have success in their post-secondary education experiences. Thanks to all of our sponsors, and please check out Derek Shaw’s website featuring Waskerd Brand Wallets and other leather goods here.

Retro Mini Golf Outing:

On July 9th AHEADD will host a retro mini golf outing as its second scholarship fundraiser of 2011. The event is scheduled to take place at Sunset Golf in South Park and will have a retro golf theme. Prizes will be awarded to the most creative and best dressed individuals, as well as to the winners of our family group and our competitive group. We are for looking teams of four to sign up for either the family group or the competitive group. The event will be a great opportunity to wear plaid and knickers, as well as raise money for our scholarship fund. Please spread the word and contact kevin@aheadd.org to sign up a foursome or to have your questions answered.

If you have not already, add us to your Google Reader. Include http://aheadd.org/blog/ in your subscriptions and Google Reader will alert you when there is a new post. Enjoy.

AHEADD’s 2011 $500 Book Scholarship Winner

Hayden Amaro

from Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho

“Thank you so much for the scholarship! Every dollar counts when you are trying to afford college, and this will make a big dent in my college expenses! It is nice to have an organization that recognizes the ability of those with disabilities.”

Read Hayden’s essay here:

The dreaded birthday party. An event unrivaled in its ability to make me uncomfortable. The very prospect of attending inspired in me feelings of sweaty palmed awkwardness. I had been invited to the party in question by the birthday girl, who would be turning seventeen that week. The soiree was to be held at her home, and was to be a dance party. Agony. I had been to the house many times before, but never in this context. There would be cake, music, unfamiliar faces, and worst of all dancing. Upon receiving the invitation, I promptly pocketed it and ignored it for the following week, until the very night of the event.

I stopped by the local bookstore on my way to the party and picked up a gift, Kafka’s Metamorphosis, which I proceeded to wrap in news paper. My heart was racing wildly as I drove to her home in a steadily growing storm cloud. Images of party games gone horribly awry flashed through my head. In my mind I was stumbling over people on the dance floor, already apologizing profusely for my missteps. I had begun the vicious spiraling cycle of anxiety and anticipation. I drove in silence the remainder of the trip, considering turning the car around and driving home instead. I pressed onward, however, into what one might consider a silly social gathering, but what appeared to me at the time as the proverbial “brave unknown.” Upon arriving, I approached the door quickly, as not to lose my nerve. The door opened, and the rest is inconsequential. My fears proved unfounded that night, and I had a wonderful time, as I often do in these situations I spend so much worry over.

The best advice I can share with someone tackling a similar situation is to just show up. The rest tends to handle itself. It is best to overcome the initial anxiety and not abandon the gathering before it begins. I arrived at the party and realized almost immediately that my fears were unfounded. I ate the cake, presented my gift, and yes, even danced (albeit clumsily). The worst thing one can do for himself is to build the issue into more than it is – into a mythical problem of epic proportions to be confronted. A healthy dose of perspective tends to put one’s fears at bay. Asperger’s disorder need not turn one into a closet seeking agoraphobic. Given enough willpower, any situation can be both entertaining and fun.

Hayden plans to attend Western Washington University and hopes to major in biology.
AHEADD would like to thank Hayden for choosing an incredibly relevant topic for his essay. Although college students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are often quite intelligent and academically capable of performing at high levels at their colleges or universities, there are times when social differences and/or anxiety can stand in the way of one’s personal success. With the appropriate supports and opportunity for social involvement, however, students with or without ASD or other learning differences are given a much greater chance at achieving success in higher education. If you would like to learn more about the involvement of social coaching in the AHEADD model, please visit www.aheadd.org/model, or email admin@aheadd.org with questions.

A Message From Congressman Mike Doyle

On April 14th, AHEADD and its founder, Carolyn Komich Hare, hosted The Third Annual Adult Autism Awareness Day in collaboration with numerous other organizations to celebrate and raise awareness. Although Congressman Mike Doyle was in Washington DC, he took the time to film this motivating video.

Click HERE to view Congressman Mike Doyle’s message in celebration and support of National Adult Autism Awareness Day.

AHEADD’s Summer Social Thinking/Social Skills Group

Back by popular demand, AHEADD, Pittsburgh will be hosting a Social Thinking/Social Skills Group this summer.
Email heather@aheadd.org for more info.

AHEADD’s New Blog Format

Hello, AHEADD Blog followers.

AHEADD has maintained an academic, informational blog for some time now. We continue to see the value in sharing peer-reviewed articles with families and professionals via our blog; however, we will also provide information on our events, photographs of staff and students, and links to our locations pages so that you can see what is happening in each AHEADD region in the US. Please feel free to make comments or provide feedback on our new, and hopefully more social, means of blogging as posts are made.

Cheers,
AHEADD bloggers

Adjustment, Social Skills, and Self-Esteem in College Students With Symptoms of ADHD

Authors: Barbara Shaw Zirt, Leelawatte Popali-Lehane, William Chaplin and Andrea Bergman
From the Journal of Attention Disorders

Click here to find a link to Adjustment, Social Skills, and Self-Esteem in College Students With Symptoms of ADHD.

This research article touches on the persistence of ADHD symptoms in young and older adults in college (estimated to be at between 10 and 60 percent) and aspects of college adjustment that may be affected by these symptoms. Support for conducting this research lies in the suggestion that deficits in social skills and self-esteem may be linked to the development of academic, behavioral, emotional and/or interpersonal difficulties, as well as to health in general. Past studies have suggested that self-esteem (an issue for many of our young adults with ADHD) in adolescence was related to one’s educational achievement and occupational success in adulthood.

Method
21 college students who met DSM-IV criteria for ADHD and 20 non-ADHD students matched by age, gender, and self reports of GPA were included in this study. The following assessments were used with both groups:

1. The Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire
2. The Social Performance Survey Schedule
3. The Social Self-Esteem Inventory
4. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale

Results
Self-esteem was shown to be statistically significant in mediating between ADHD and adjustment, while negative social behaviors were not statistically relevant in relating to adjustment. Based on self-reports, students with ADHD had lower levels of college adjustment, social skills, and self-esteem relative to the non-ADHD comparison group, but self-esteem was found to have the most effect on overall adjustment at college. In summation, the results indicate that the study’s ADHD participants were functioning approximately 1 standard deviation below the normative sample mean in terms of adjustment.

So – What do these results indicate in practical terms?

For our students attending college, and transitioning towards vocation, we know that self-esteem can have a serious affect on motivation, success, and overall feelings of good health. When working with any individual, and particularly one who presents with symptoms of ADHD, it is important to remember that interventions specifically aimed at improving social skills (which can often, in turn, improve self reports of self-esteem) are of high importance.

As a staff, those of us at AHEADD check in with our students about their overall quality of life on a regular basis, ensuring that they are getting the most out of their college experience, and participating in activities that will increase their self-esteem. Not only do our staff work with students to increase self-esteem and help students find opportunities to engage in positive social experiences where they can shine, but our peer mentoring program also allows for additional positive social experiences with empathic, understanding peers on campus. This fourth core element of the AHEADD model may be one of the most integral aspects of the program by allowing students to have at least one positive, reliable, social outlet on their campuses. These peer mentors receive weekly support from AHEADD staff to ensure quality of service. Once a month, students and their mentors gather as a group for a large social outing in their regions, allowing students additional social group experiences.

To learn more about the AHEADD model, which includes the peer mentoring aspect of our program, please visit this page.