Graduating on the Autism Spectrum

Like many college students, Max Skula and Merlin Moore, aren’t sure what their future holds when they graduate.  They hope to find jobs or maybe go to graduate school after earning some money. 

The two seniors – who will graduate from Rutgers May 18 – try not to think too far ahead, looking instead at how much they have progressed as college students and promising that they will stay in touch once they go their separate ways.

This might not seem unusual. But Skula and Moore were diagnosed as children with what was once called Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism characterized by social awkwardness that affects a person’s ability to communicate effectively with others, and is now on the autism spectrum...

What helped both students feel less anxious and more connected to the university was the College Support Program for Students on the Autism Spectrum.  Starting out in 2009 as part of the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center (DDDC), the program became part of Rutgers Health Services Counseling, Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program and Psychiatric Services (CAPS) in 2013 to provide more assistance to this growing student population.

Read the full article here: