Individuals with Autism going to college

All of the Massachusetts public college campuses will offer accommodations to young people whose severe disabilities prevent them from earning a standard high school diploma. This will allow them to take classes as nondegree-seeking students and join extracurricular activities alongside their peers. This experiences that can transform their lives for the better.

Massachusetts law will create pathways for students whose intellectual challenges have often left them stuck in high school as their classmates graduated and moved on without them. When students are unable to pass the state MCAS exam or gain admission to college, they’re unlikely to thrive without support. Many students with Down syndrome, autism, and other conditions have instead languished in isolated classrooms, facing poor employment prospects and limited social options as they wait to age out of high school at age 22.