Providing the Structure the Autistic Need for College Life

"Many people assume students with disabilities can't attend college. That's not true," said Betty Greene-Bryant, director of the program's campus in Rockville. "A lot of people think that, a lot of parents think that, a lot of colleagues think that, and it's just not true. With the proper support, they can do it."

The proper support, according to the program's model, is a regimen in which a student's week is heavily planned: tutoring sessions, study time, social outings and meetings with financial advisers. A scheduler helps Freeman plan her week in a color-coded agenda that includes time for academics as well as trips with her friends to the shopping mall and grocery store.

She meets with a financial planner, therapists and a meal planner, who helps her create grocery lists and even helps her tackle French onion soup recipes. The staff members, whom she knows by name, have become familiar with her personality and habits, such as the fact that she keeps her apartment very clean.

"It's kind of like a work environment," she said. "You know each other on a first-name basis, but you keep a distance. When you're a disabled kid, your family sometimes tries to mother you; you don't really grow up that much. They really let you act like an adult [here]."

Adulthood comes with boundaries, however. With Freeman's permission, her mother receives a weekly update on her progress. And the staff counsels students to avoid destructive behavior and people who might take advantage of them.

The program, originally based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was bought two years ago by Educational Services of America, a for-profit company that operates alternative- and special-education programs. Within a year of purchasing College Living Experience, the company opened sites in Austin and Denver. This year, it expanded to Monterey, Calif., Chicago, and to Rockville, near Montgomery College.

County school systems in Maryland support 22 programs that provide transition services to students with learning disabilities in college settings, Grigal said. Last month, the Kennedy Krieger Institute opened a Rockville campus to help students ages 10 to 21 with autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities.

Freeman said the support has worked for her. The girl who earned spotty grades in high school finished a semester with mostly C's and B's and, in algebra, with an A, a grade she had never earned in math. Now she looks forward to returning to Maryland, possibly to a career in psychology.

"I knew I had to be away for college," Freeman said. "To spread my wings, I had to leave home."