Checking in with Residents Weekly

• Daily interactions and frequent (preferably weekly) check-ins can help R.A.s develop relationships with all of their residents, including their residents with autism. It additionally provides the opportunity for R.A.s to see how residents are doing with regard to classes, roommate relations, friends, and campus involvement. This also allows R.A.s to identify any changes in student needs (Madriaga, 2010). Visiting residents in their rooms enables R.A.s to notice changes in residents’ hygiene, behavior, physical appearance, room condition, etc., and report any issues of concern to their supervisor (most likely their R.D.). The Supervisor can then reach out to other departments such as disability services as needed so that residence life staff and other departments are communicating and working together to support student needs.

• Weekly check-ins are especially important because students with autism often have difficulty reaching out to resources for help (Adreon & Durocher, 2007). 

• Some colleges require R.A.s to complete these weekly check-ins, often called headcounts, and complete a form to send to the R.D. after the check-ins are completed to notify the R.D. of any important information. Even if this is not required at your school, checking on residents weekly can make R.A.s a more accessible resource to all residents, foster relationships, and provide R.A.s with more information on resident needs. This can be the difference between a struggling student’s difficulties getting discovered and getting needed supports, and a struggling student flying under the radar and not getting help until it is too late and they must drop-out of college.

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Culture of Acceptance and Respect

• Create an accepting environment for your residents by modeling acceptance and communicating an expectation of respect. At the first floor meeting of the year, it is a good idea to explain that you will not tolerate any hateful language and expect everyone to treat everyone with respect, and to explain why this is important to you. If you observe any disrespectful behavior, shut it down immediately and remind residents that it is unacceptable.

• Residents with autism tend to have difficulty reaching out for help and confiding in support staff about instances of bullying, but if you make your position on such things clear they are more likely to feel comfortable confiding in you. Students also may be more likely to trust others and even disclose their disability if they know they live in a safe community that will respect them, and research has found that knowledge of a diagnosis improves college student’s attitudes and perceptions of peers with ASD (Mathews, Ly, & Goldberg, 2015).