I have been taking online classes at Arizona State University for a while now, so I wanted to share an update on how it’s going. As a speller, navigating the balance between academic load, endurance, and regulation can be a challenge. I have learned I should not push myself to unrealistic expectations for my body.
I am taking college classes at my own pace and it prevents me from getting overwhelmed. I have no pressure from myself or others to take more classes than I can handle. Because of this, I am really enjoying school and also have time for the rest of my life. I have gotten all A’s in my 13 completed classes because of this too.
I used to think it was important to keep up with the pace of a traditional school schedule and I often felt insecure because of it. I have changed my mindset about it and now accept my best as good enough. I think it’s important to hold autistic people to high expectations, but we should not be pushed to the point where we burn out. I am proud of my accomplishments and glad I see the value of balance now.
Mitchell's Life with Autism 
Your blog started about 6 years ago when you were about 16 and then were able to be a self-advocate because you learned RPM to be able to spell to communicate. For the past couple of months I have been an advocate to help a 14 year old learning to use Spelling to Communicate S2C who is not yet an open speller where the local school district refuses to allow the use of S2C in school. I have just read several of your blogs over the past 6 years and I believe they are very relevant to the needs of the the 14 year old I am trying to help. Thank you for your information.
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It’s taken me several days to find the energy to comment, but I wanted to say I absolutely agree with you about balance, and about setting one’s own pace. Because I went to university part time (though full time for a disabled student), it took me a *long* time to finish each of my undergraduate degrees, and I outlasted so many different cohorts, that sometimes I felt bad about taking so long when all my colleagues and even my friends were busy moving on with their lives (even a couple of the disabled ones seemed to be going faster than me and accomplishing more). But my autism specialist at the time said something that really helped and has stuck with me. She said that I was on my own journey, and none of the people I was comparing myself to had near as many difficulties to overcome as I did. (both internally and environmentally), and that I was doing amazingly well considering everything I was dealing with at the time (including both autistic catatonia and autistic burnout. And yet, somehow, with a lot of support, eventually I finished not only a 4 year degree, but also an honours degree after that). It was a good reminder to remember the whole picture if I was going to compare myself to other people, and to give myself credit for my successes as well as my struggles. Not everyone’s dealing with an “even playing field”, and sometimes, when we compare ourselves to other people, we forget that.
It’s so important to focus on and respect one’s needs as well as one’s strengths and abilities!
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