Hello I'm studying students with HFAD

[Douglas Thompson]

I'm doing a research project about students in school (college) and have Asperger's or HFAD.

 

[Pats]

Hi Douglas. It's been a long time since I was in college but not so long that I don't remember. lol I didn't know I was autistic at the time.
I stayed on the honor role but still felt like everyone else was smarter than I was, even those who were failing. I hated that they posted grades - mine were good but I felt embarrassed over anyone seeing my grades whether they were good or bad. And I think part of the feeling less knowledgeable than the other students was because they participated in discussions and I was unable to. It also seemed like everyone would get in study groups and I couldn't join those because it would be discussions again and because I could never contribute, I felt dumber than anyone else.
Getting from one class to the next was always a chore, too. You know those dreams that you can't remember your locker number or which class you're supposed to be in? That's what it feels like.
Hope this helps some.

 

[tree]

 

[Douglas Thompson]

Hi Douglas. It's been a long time since I was in college but not so long that I don't remember. lol I didn't know I was autistic at the time.
I stayed on the honor role but still felt like everyone else was smarter than I was, even those who were failing. I hated that they posted grades - mine were good but I felt embarrassed over anyone seeing my grades whether they were good or bad. And I think part of the feeling less knowledgeable than the other students was because they participated in discussions and I was unable to. It also seemed like everyone would get in study groups and I couldn't join those because it would be discussions again and because I could never contribute, I felt dumber than anyone else.
Getting from one class to the next was always a chore, too. You know those dreams that you can't remember your locker number or which class you're supposed to be in? That's what it feels like.
Hope this helps some.

That helps a ton. My project is for a doctoral dissertation. If you or someone you know of would be interested in answering some questions, feel free to look at the flyer. I can also share the official approval from my university if I need to.

 

[Nitro]

Hi Douglas Thompson

 

[Nitro]

That helps a ton. My project is for a doctoral dissertation. If you or someone you know of would be interested in answering some questions, feel free to look at the flyer. I can also share the official approval from my university if I need to.

We would prefer that you share your credentials and possibly let our members in on your findings after you complete your research.

 

[Douglas Thompson]

Hi Douglas Thompson
View attachment 47937

Hey!

 

[George Newman]

I am sure Tom would agree with me when I ask, “are free donuts involved?”

 

[Douglas Thompson]

Donuts are a possibility. I just don't know what kind of condition they would be in upon arrival.

 

[Tom]

Donuts are a possibility. I just don't know what kind of condition they would be in upon arrival.
View attachment 47941

They are most inorganic chemicals and substances so they actually last quite well.

 

[Douglas Thompson]

Well...then I have no excuses for NOT opening negotiations.

"Resistance is futile"~said all Borg, all the time.

 

[George Newman]

Donuts are a possibility. I just don't know what kind of condition they would be in upon arrival.
View attachment 47941

I’m too old as I have been out of university for twenty or so ... let’s just say several years. I remember my time in university vaguely. I had no clue about autism and a spectrum. I had a tough time and had to work very hard. It taught me to strive and reach and stretch. All are tools I use every day both at work and personally. If I knew I was autistic during school, I would have used it as an excuse. The fact that I seem to be on the higher functioning end of the spectrum my be contributing to my perspective. I guess. I’m not perfect or have everything figured out but I seem to have developed strategies to keep my head just above the waterline. I can celebrate my university experience because it made me accept the fact the many parts of life are a struggle. Good luck as you step thru this work. May your time produce a rich harvest of understanding. Peace.

 

[Douglas Thompson]

I’m too old as I have been out of university for twenty or so ... let’s just say several years. I remember my time in university vaguely. I had no clue about autism and a spectrum. I had a tough time and had to work very hard. It taught me to strive and reach and stretch. All are tools I use every day both at work and personally. If I knew I was autistic during school, I would have used it as an excuse. The fact that I seem to be on the higher functioning end of the spectrum my be contributing to my perspective. I guess. I’m not perfect or have everything figured out but I seem to have developed strategies to keep my head just above the waterline. I can celebrate my university experience because it made me accept the fact the many parts of life are a struggle. Good luck as you step thru this work. May your time produce a rich harvest of understanding. Peace.

Thank you. My goal is to help schools and families to be able to address needs more accurately. My university requires three forms of responses from the participants for me to include them in my study. Not many people are comfortable with that, and I can't currently use survey data because it is a different kind of research project. I hope to find at least 12 people who would be willing to answer some writing prompts, open-ended questions, and share anything else that could teach administrators what they don't know.

Ultimately, I will provide the findings so that different schools could see what they could do better in the future..

Again, thank you for sharing about yourself.

 

[Douglas Thompson]

We would prefer that you share your credentials and possibly let our members in on your findings after you complete your research.

These are my credentials:
B.M. Church music (2001) Ouachita Baptist University
M.Ed. in Secondary Education (2008) Grand Canyon University
Ed.S. in Educational Leadership (2014) Liberty University
currently seeking the degree Ed.D. (Educational Doctorate) from Liberty University

My university approval number for research is: 3033.030218. The approval was granted by Liberty University because I demonstrated how I will protect privacy and confidentiality while completing rigorous research involving people. They would not have granted approval unless I legally demonstrated how everything I gather from the participants is ethically handled. For instance, I allow the participants to choose an alias so that their real names would not appear in the final project. Then, I had to legally promise that I would securely destroy the information (shredding and erasing files) after the study is published. Basically, I had to show that I would make every appropriate effort to protect privacy.

My focus in research is helping persons with HFAD and Asperger's syndrome experience success in post-secondary education because the drop-out rate is significantly higher among that group, and university administrators have yet to develop long-lasting supports or solutions. There seems to be less support in college than high school which may contribute to drop-out and some frustration, but this isn't fully known. The research simply shows that many persons on the spectrum feel alone, isolated, and perplexed with all the other "stuff" that goes into college outside of just being smart enough to get a college education. Many studies express that teachers and parents just don't know what to do even though they want to help. I want to provide some insight that could help some students get to their educational dreams without too much frustration. The student's know more about what they go through than anyone else.