Adjusting to Online Learning as an Autist

      The COVID-19 crisis has changed our lives. For those of us still in secondary education, or are still pursuing it, the changes have been far more noticeable. Due to social distancing, instead of heading to class in person, we are now using the Internet to participate in our classes. While, for some of us on the spectrum, this can be a benefit, it may be a complete struggle for others. If you’re reading this, you’re probably one of the many who have been struggling to handle with the change. Just know that, you are not alone, and that there are steps you can take to make the change that much easier to cope with.

·         Establish a routine as soon as possible

Establishing a routine is almost a requirement for normal life for those of us on the autistic spectrum. While most of us had routines set up when we were in school to begin with, that has completely changed on account of COVID-19. This is why it is more imperative than ever to establish a routine that will provide you with some sense of stability. While this may be hard to adjust to, this will be required for success (Autism Speaks). I’ve already taken action to give myself some form of a routine, and it has done wonders for my sense of well-being. Following this should give you a similar result.

·         Show some discipline

Autistic students, like myself, can struggle when it comes to online learning because of how open it is. Unlike the classes taken in person, and unless there are regular meetings, online classes leave a lot of breathing room, which can give people a lot of time on their hands. Because of the available time, you need to have more self-discipline than usual in how you go about your classes (Rudy). Furthermore, this also means that, without self-discipline, you may find yourself worse off than your peers who do have self-discipline. If you need to take just one thing from this post, it’s that self-discipline is necessary to succeed in this trying time.

·         Keep your support in mind

Just because you’re back at home does not mean you do not have access to advisors and support staff you had back at college. For example, though I had to move out from the University of Wyoming this semester, I still have access to the disability support services I had at the university. While I personally have adjusted to the online learning situation and haven’t had to use it yet, check to see if you still have access to your own support service! If it’s still there, use it.

The transition to online learning is admittedly going to be a stressful one. Many of us did not think we’d be ending our semesters at home on account of a global pandemic, but we still have measure of control left in our lives. Taking the steps above can allow you gain back some of that control, and this will contribute to getting the degree you’ve been shooting for all this time.

Sources

Autism Speaks. (n.d.). Autism Speaks. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/

Rudy, L. J. (2019, May 22). 13 tips for autistic students entering mainstream college. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from https://www.verywellhealth.com/going-through-college-with-asperger-syndrome-260485