Prospective Students and Families | Spectrum Support Program

These resources are for current high school students and incoming RIT students and their families who are navigating the transition to college.

Parent and Family Programs @ RIT

The Parent and Family Programs office is a primary resource for those supporting the success of RIT students. If you have RIT-related questions or want to have a better understanding of how campus resources can best support your student, visit their website.

Learn more about RIT Parent and Family Programs

Disability Services Office

The Disability Services Office (DSO) is dedicated to facilitating equitable access to the full RIT experience for students with disabilities. The office values disability as a form of diversity and collaborates with campus partners to foster a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive campus community.

Learn more about the RIT Disability Services Office

Guides and Publications

Navigating College: A handbook on Self Advocacy Written for Autistic Students from Autistic Adults
This book is a project of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). Navigating College is an introduction to the college experience from those who've been there. The writers and contributors are autistic adults, and they’re giving advice that they wish someone could have given them when heading off to college.

Connections are Everything: A College Student's Guide to Relationship Rich Education

Different, Not Less: A Neurodivergent’s Guide to Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Built for You
Aimed at young adults, offers practical advice and encouragement for navigating life and education.

Parent’s Guide to College for Students on the Autism Spectrum

Author: Jane Thierfield Brown, EdD
ISBN: 1934575895

Cover of The Autism Transition Guide: Planning the Journey from School to Adult Life.

The Autism Transition Guide: Planning the Journey from School to Adult Life (Topics in Autism)

Authors: Carolyn T. Bruey, Mary Beth Urban
ISBN: 978-1890627812

Cover of Succeeding as a Student in the STEM Fields with an Invisible Disability.

Succeeding as a Student in the STEM Fields with an Invisible Disability: A College Handbook for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Students with Autism, ADD, Affective Disorders, Or Learning Difficulties and Their Families

Author: Christy Oslund
ISBN: 978-0857008176

College Readiness for Neurodivergent Students

Authors: Matt Gunther, Dr. Lee Burdette Williams

Online

Stairway to Stem: Student Resources

This is an online resource for autistic students who are transitioning from high school to college and interested in entering STEM fields. Contributors are tackling everything from important steps to take during your junior and senior years of high school, to making friends, navigating a syllabus, and mastering time management to disclosure, accommodations, and building collegiate support systems and more.

Misunderstandings About IEPs, 504s, and College Accommodations: Clarifying the Vocabulary

There is — understandably — a lot of misunderstanding and misinterpretation of what does and doesn’t happen for students with disabilities at college. It seems some people either believe there are no disability accommodations available at college or that they’re only for people with visual, hearing, or physical disabilities, or that colleges have to follow students’ high school plans. None of these statements is true.

Unlocking Access: Guide for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

This webpage serves as a guide to acknowledge the barriers faced by deaf and hard-of-hearing students. It provides information and resources to help students navigate and succeed in higher education settings by addressing communication and accessibility needs.