by Lonnie Pacelli
This is part two of How an Autistic Child has Changed a Career…For the Better In 2006 I wrote of Patty’s and my decision to homeschool our son Trevor to help provide a learning environment more conducive with his autism. It’s now twelve years later and time to write about how things worked out.
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By Patty Pacelli
When researching colleges for your student who may have learning differences, it is worthwhile to look at universities that have dedicated centers or programs that go above and beyond the standard academics for your student, such as the SALT (Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques) Center at The University of Arizona. 
by Lonnie Pacelli
In December 2015 our son Trevor, who was diagnosed with autism at age 5, graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Film and Media Studies. Despite the challenges and all of the change Trevor endured in his college experience, he graduated with a 3.5 GPA with very little assistance. He also experienced living by himself, living with nice and not-so-nice roommates, internships, and a summer job as a photographer at a boys camp in North Carolina. He gained a tremendous amount of life experience and learned a ton about himself as a person. His graduation in December put an exclamation point on a very rich college experience. But college is only one race in the marathon called life; his next race - employment - was yet to start. 
By Trevor Pacelli
I may be mildly Autistic, but you know what? I am not hopeless! I have still used what I am good at to achieve success out of life. But how did I come to know my strengths? It all depended on accepting and seeking out challenges through college. 
By Trevor Pacelli
It’s a challenge for anybody: finding an interest in a topic with no prior experience to. I mean, if you are not planning on ever becoming an engineer or accountant in the future, then where could you find any interest in math? While it can be a problem for many people, it is even more of a challenge for those with Autism. Because I am Autistic, my mind is much more geared toward very specific areas of interest, making it harder for me to leave those areas and open my mind to anything else. The same is true for a lot of students on the Autism spectrum who are required to take classes that are far out of their league of interest. As a result, their grades may suffer and they may be received poorly by their teachers. But I have found an easy solution to helping myself find interest in a subject that is juxtaposed from my subject of interest. 
By Trevor Pacelli
As of yesterday, I moved into my new apartment at Arizona State University, which will be my first time living with other roommates I did not know before. So far I am very anxious to see how it’s all going to benefit my social communication skills. The good thing is that I already have experience living by myself in a dorm, so I am already comfortable being away from my parents. 
By Trevor Pacelli
Everybody is required to learn about history as they go through elementary school, middle school, and high school. They learn about the history of various countries around the world and why it is relevant to us today. They also learn about America's history and all of the important events and people that formed our country. Many of many of the people I grew up with seemed to grasp and understand the subjects we were learning, including the political issues concerning the government today. But as for me, I never paid any attention to history subjects, and today I can hardly recall anything I learned. I do remember my U.S. history classes talking about the Mayflower, the Westward movement, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, America's presidents, World War I, World War II, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, and many other subjects; but the details are as foggy to me now as they were at the time I was taught them. 
By Trevor Pacelli
I now begin my spring semester here at Arizona State University, after getting back from my winter break visit with my parents in Seattle. What's interesting was that while I was there, the experience of being back in my home state wasn't quite the same. 
By Trevor Pacelli
I have just finished my first semester here at Arizona State University, and while I have faced difficulties, challenges and feelings of loneliness, lots of great things have happened to me. Most of the things I faced were internal, others came on me unexpectedly. For instance, I've found a wonderful church to get plugged into and even went up to Prescott for a weekend with the college ministry. I got published in The State Press newspaper, I spoke at an event about my book and experiences with autism, and I got to spend time with several of my family members. The whole reason I picked this school in the first place is because it was so close to a lot of my family members (including my sister) and I wanted to get better connected with them. So far, it is going very well, if not exactly as I planned. 
By Patty Pacelli
Trevor is flying home from college this weekend, and it will be his first time flying by himself. As his mom, I'm not too worried about him, because he has flown at least once a year during his life, but never alone. I wanted to write some tips about flying alone to help others who might be flying by themselves this season, with or without autism. |
Inspiration for Life with AutismThis blog has a variety of articles about people living life with autism, and topics and ideas that can help in the journey. Guest bloggers are welcome. Inspired by Trevor, a young adult film critic, photographer and college graduate on the autism spectrum. Categories
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