Resources
Click on the following links (the light blue headings) to access useful resources. Descriptions of each resource are provided below each link.
To prevent roommate conflicts that may arise with all of your residents, including residents with autism, it may be helpful to use this sample talking points handout to initiate conversations needed to set roommate boundaries that will prevent conflicts. This handout, adapted from a talking points flyer distributed to some freshmen at Marist College, provides talking points for roommates under the following categories: the hours I keep, my stuff, visitors, room cleanliness, communication, and other issues.
If further support is needed in setting boundaries to prevent or address conflicts and to ensure every resident’s unique needs are addressed, it may be helpful to use this sample roommate contract. The contract prompts residents to jointly agree on roommate boundaries and rules under the following topics: cleaning standards/ miscellaneous, studying/ sleeping, visitors/ guests, communication, and pet peeves/ other.
A visual schedule is one of the most powerful tools you can use to assist residents with ASD with time management. The schedule should be packed, leaving limited free time and having time slots labeled for work outside of class (Wolf, Brown, & Bork, 2009). Click here for an example of what the template would look like after it is filled in.
Book: Students with Asperger Syndrome: A Guide for College Personnel
This book, by Lorraine Wolf; Jane Thierfeld Brown; and Ruth Kukiela Bork, provides information and strategies for supporting students with ASD in the college setting. Although designed for all college personnel, chapter 7: "Housing and Residence Life" is particularly rich in valuable knowledge for R.A.s. A must read for anyone in higher education working with college students on the spectrum.
Sample In-Service or R.A. Training Powerpoint Presentation
To present the information from this website using a powerpoint presentation, as an alternative to using the training module on this website, it may be helpful to use and adapt this PowerPoint. Make sure to view the notes box for each slide, which contains elaborated information for the bullet points on the slide.
