Going to college isn't easy. Going to college on the autism spectrum is no easier. You've gone your whole life struggling to socially interact with others and dealing with various behaviors associated with the disorder. But you've made it. You endured the challenges of high school and you're eager to start college. Everyone on the spectrum is different, of course, so your behavior might have improved significantly or not. Either way, as is the case with everyone, you still have problems and obstacles you need to overcome.
With all that said, while you still have time to prepare yourself for a career, what do you want to do when you head out into the real world? Obviously, with anyone, you need to have a strong passion for your major. What's the point of doing something you don't want to do? The problem for students on the spectrum is no necessarily the majors, but the assumption that they can only do a few certain majors.
I've noticed at my school, known for its support program for students with learning disabilities, that students on the spectrum are usually majoring in one of these subjects - communications, computer science or any of the sciences. Now, if you're passionate about those subjects, good for you. There's no reason you shouldn't go into any of those fields. But, if you're doing it because you don't know what to do and someone else picked your major for you, you shouldn't do it, at least if you don't have the enthusiasm.
What we need to do is to stop being overprotective of kids on the spectrum and let them choose their destined path. Remember, they can always change their minds. While we can give as much advice as we can, if the kid is enthusiastic about it, we can't say that it's not the best idea. They appreciate the support, but in this case, it's unnecessary. Maybe some can't handle the pressure of nursing or physics, but some can. If they're into it, we should support them on their journey.
We should stop limiting their potentials and tell them they should only do one subject if they can't make up their minds. Students on the spectrum just think a little differently, that doesn't mean they're like everyone else because everyone is different. Yes, some kids on the spectrum are more fascinated by computers, math, and communications than other majors, but if they don't want to major in those subjects, we shouldn't make them. Any major requires a lot of work. All it takes is the passion to help, and commitment to ultimately achieve the students' goals for the future.
