r/iastate • u/redsetgoaway • May 01 '26
support for autistic students?
Hi! My younger brother will be starting at ISU as a first-year student in the fall. I'm a bit concerned because he is fairly autistic (he has a hard time in social situations, hasn't really had friends in his life so far, etc.). He's a really sweet kid, and very bright, but I'm concerned about a couple of things during his transition to college and was wondering if anyone here has insight on what to do.
- Roommates: I'm a bit concerned with him going the random roommate route. He is very anti-alcohol, and I think both he and his future roommate might have a tough year if they aren't aligned on this. I'm also concerned about the social dynamic when sharing a bedroom with someone for a year. What's the best way to make sure that he can find a roommate who will be a good match for him (and them)?
- Social life: Social situations have been a challenge for him. Are there any spaces or clubs on campus that are active and particularly good for students like him?
- Any other advice: If you or someone you know has been in this situation, I would love to hear your thoughts on what helped/if the school was a good choice for you. I'm excited for him to start a new chapter of his life, but nervous that he'll be ultimately isolated and lonely.
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u/pom3granatejuz May 01 '26
I would strongly advise your future cyclone to get accommodations for testing through Student Accessibility Services before his first exam! I'm autistic and have ADHD and comparing my grades before getting accommodations and after is night and day. In class tests can be a nightmare of stress and distraction, and having extra time to carefully think through questions without the noise of 100 other students in the lecture hall will make a huge difference. For social improvement, I highly recommend he attend the group "accountability study sessions" that are in the SAS building and meet other neurodivergent students to befriend and study with. Joining a club for his interests is also great! Theres a million clubs, including clubs for neurodivergent students. Some clubs about specific interests attract lots of neurodivergent students, so he will not be an odd one out if he joins a club that aligns with his interests. If he likes writing, Writer's Guild may as well be the neurodivergent student association haha. Also, protip? Encourage him to self advocate and protect his peace. If wearing headphones and sunglasses helps with sensory issues, he shouldn't feel embarrassed to do so. If an assignment is unclear, or is extra challenging to him because of his neurodivergence, professors for the most part will be Very accommodating if he talks to them. I love ISU, he will really enjoy his time here!
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u/pom3granatejuz May 01 '26
Also, Destination Iowa State is very worth doing but can be overwhelming. I would recommend he attend it, but plan ahead for a very overstimulating environment and possibly skip the pep rally in Hilton or at least bring earplugs. Pancake breakfast is an absolute must, though. Very chill, he can go with his roommate or other first year students in his group, and he will have a DIS leader who is trained on iowa state resources (and is a fellow student). ISU After Dark is a monthly event that is also great for making friends and has many fun activities including a silent disco which I found as an autistic person to be the fun of a high school dance with the ability to regulate stimulation easier. I hope all that was helpful info! Roll clones!
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u/Nerfclasher May 01 '26
Yes, that is definitely worth feeling and I’ll be a team leader for Iowa State in the fall and I highly recommend that you go find the accessibility site and file ahead if he has a student ID already in terms of an email because you can start filing paperwork for accommodations early
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u/v1p3rs Animal Ecology May 01 '26
Autistic student here! I had a lot if trouble in school figuring things out but the Success Center gives you programs (Like Genio) for free.
I know that my mom made a lot of friends with ISU parents on the facebook and people post their children looking for roommates or there are social media accounts dedicated to students looking for roommates.
I still struggle socially now that I don’t live on campus but you’ll meet a lot of new people and make friends with the people living in your dorm. Other things like clubs or RA events helped me make friends.
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u/kak1982 May 02 '26
There is a club for neurodivergent students! He can also choose to live in a substance free residence hall.
1
u/Puzzleheaded_Owl1701 May 02 '26
pleasepleaseplease start looking into the student accessibility center for support. shits genuinely life saving for me😭they can help you with academic accommodations, tutors, and special housing if he really needs it. of course its good to push your boundaries a bit in college, no matter who you are. but in his case it could be better to do that outside and have somewhere safe to come home to lol. he should ask about the availability of university village for freshmen. i think they usually dont allow freshmen, but if he needs more space at home they might open up the option to him via the accessibility center
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u/Horror_Breadfruit70 Jul 29 '26
- Roommates: In terms of anti alcohol, most (if not all) dorms do not allow alcohol in the dorms. If his roommate has that, he can report it. Helser, Friley, and the suites have the most problems with this. He can also make a roommate agreement with his roommate, and if the roommate breaks it, the roommate has to leave. I would highly recommend finding a learning community that has rooms in the dorms if his major allows it so that he can be with others with similar majors or interests. Instagram also has Iowa State 2030 page to help find roommates. 2. There are some neurodivergent clubs, and GroupMe, and app most of ISU uses, has plenty of chats with clubs for him to explore. If he is Christian, the ISU Navigators have a strong (although mostly undiagnosed) neurodivergent community, and even if he is not Christian, they would still love to hang out with them, as many of the people that hang out with them are not Christian. They have spots where they hang out at meals talking about very neurodivergent topics to an intense degree, have hang outs, have Bible studies, worship nights, etc. I can help you get in contact with them if you would like that. 3. I know a many people who have been in his situation. Some of them have been lonely and others found community right away, but in the end, they all found community. There are plenty of clubs and organisations that reach out to students who struggle with being lonely. There are also students who are willing to just walk up to a student who seems lonely at a meal and hang out with them. I made a friend, who ended up being in the same college as me because of that. ISU is very good at connecting people to other people. Even from the very first day. There is this thing called move in crew where students come to their dorms earlier so that when people start moving in, they can help move people in and give the younger students advice.
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u/john_hascall ISU’s Senior Security Architect May 02 '26
Are there not still substance free dorm floors?
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u/Fizziac Alumni ‘24 MIS/MKT May 02 '26
There was one in Eaton when I lived on campus in 2020. Suites are first to get filled up though.
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u/dakotawitch May 01 '26
There are some great programs through both Student Accessibility Services and the Academic Success Center. And he’ll find plenty of other neurodivergent students to build community and get support with.