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Erie college creates nurturing environment for students with autism

Thursday, February 09, 2012

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The Associated Press features a Mercyhurst University program that helps students on the autism spectrum achieve success in college.

Mercyhurst's program begins with a summer course called Foundations, where high school students, usually in the summer after their junior year, take college courses and live on campus. By the program's fourth summer, word spread, and the response was overwhelming.

"With a $400 advertising budget ... we had 200 inquiries," but only enough funding for 25 slots, (administrator Dianne) Rogers said. In the years since, administrators have dialed back the supervision after finding the students were more capable -- and wanted more independence -- than they initially thought.

The number of adults diagnosed with autism in Pennsylvania is expected to rise from fewer than 4,000 in 2010 to nearly 20,000 by 2020, according to a state study released in 2009. That's attributed to a rapid increase in the number of diagnoses, beginning about 20 years ago, thanks to a greater understanding of autism.

Original source: Associated Press
Read the full story here.