Aspies For Freedom

What's the highest level of education you've completed? I am just curious how many aspies/autistics have a higher education degree, and what you studied. It seems that drop-out is quite common in college. Anybody go on to do grad school work (gimme some inspiration- in chiro. college)?

I hit "other".

I didn't finish high school.  I was sent to college during a time where people thought my incomprehension in school was boredom rather than incomprehension.  I barely got by for a year (failing some stuff) mostly taking art classes as my electives, and then crashed and burned really hard.  I was then still considered to be in ninth grade by my school district for a few years.  And then put in special education, which did not truly teach us at a high school level, but I graduated from there, sort of (no diploma, but did have a ceremony with one other kid).  Then I went to community college for a year.  Crashed and burned after that year, too, and tried to transfer to university but was not able to even come to class (part of this was due to severe pain that I did not recognize as such until I had the same sort of pain this year and remembered what it felt like back then, then became ).

I remember almost nothing I learned in any form of formal education, and am truly self-educated.  The only place I formally graduated from was special ed.  I always somehow managed not to graduate from even things like grade school, middle school, etc., nor did I formally graduate from standard high school, and I never finished college.

What I educated myself on -- well, "educated myself" is too active a word, but I was educated by what was around me -- was in a totally different way than the formal education system.  That's the stuff I remember and retain.

So I picked "other".

My highest qualification is an MSc in Mathematical Modelling & Scientific Computation, so I voted for "post-grad work". Was that correct, or should I have voted for "grad school etc"?

Hmm...I wasn't thinking of that...("duh" to myself). I guess the last formal "level" of education you completed. I am just curious to see how many of us actually go on past the required amount of school. Most autistics are brilliant people but is seems like higher education is always conspiring against us. Anyone else feel like that?

A college is usually more focused just on education, whereas universities do more research

I went to University although I didn't cope socially. I literally didn't speak to any other students for the first year. I also had to stay at home and go to my local uni - living away from home wasn't an option as I need support to live independently (if that makes sense!)

One thing that really helped is that my autism and learning difficulties got diagnosed at uni, so I was able to get access to study help, although it was still a huge struggle and cause me to have a relapse of ME.

I have a bachelor of arts but am really not sure about doing any further university education. It is too expensive and I'm happy where I'm working at present.

I thought in the USA they had student loans which you repay in stages once you finished your course.

So why would you have to pay upfront?

GuessWho, don't they have any trade schools in the USA? I think there is too much stigma put upon students in the USA if they "drop out" of school at whatever stage. Not everybody is able to cope with study and there should be more vocational options.

What about trades apprenticeships? eg. hairdressing, fitting and turning, electricians, plumbers etc.

So that means technical schools might well be more well suited for the aspies who find 47 hours or so study per week just too daunting.

Or anybody for that matter. I did full time university studies for three years in a BA majoring in psychology and then one year part time (started full time honours but "burnt out" partway through the year). There wasn't anything like 47 hours a week lectures and tutorials. I think if anybody seriously proposed such an idea they would have a riot on their hands!

I'm at university at the moment. I'm near the end of my first year.

I wasn't diagnosed until after I'd left university. I didn't get any of the freebies. 'S not fair. :sulk: