Book Review: The K&W Guide to Colleges for Students with Learning Differences

This guide, written by Marybeth Kravets MA and Imy Wax MS, in its 14th edition, is one of the most user-friendly resources for high-school upperclassmen and upperclasswomen interested in a four-year college education. It is a straightforward guide that any high school student or his/her parents can use to GET STARTED (often the biggest hurdle when discussing college/post high-school options. You mean I don't get to take a year off, Mom?

The book starts with thoughts from a parent, student, disability attorney, and an advocate and progresses to general guidelines to help document LD, ADHD, and ASD diagnoses--this might be the most valuable part of opening the door to services--the authors' advice here is critical! The book also suggests actions to take in each 9-12th grade year when preparing (okay, maybe freshman might not really use this to plan four years ahead of time, but I could be wrong...most of my autistic boys do not plan that far ahead as 14-year olds). But all the advice is incredibly valuable for both students and parents including: Campus Visits, Interviews, Questions the Director of Support Services May Ask, Questions Students and /or Parents May Ask, For a Successful Interview, and Letters of Recommendation. There is also a How to Use This Guide section that offers definitions of services likely offered and how they might help.

The meat and potatoes of the book is a state-by-state list of colleges starting with Auburn University at Montgomery (Alabama) and ending with University of Wyoming. A list of Independent Living Options follows the colleges list. This includes support for transitioning to adulthood in college or prior to post-secondary ed (for those not quite ready for college). I was surprised not to find Mansfield Hall (WI, VT, OR) on the Independent Living Option list, but I'm not exactly sure of the criteria they use to include programs in the book.

Many colleges have some level of support for differently-abled learners, but this book presents those schools with a proven track record in supporting LD, ADHD, and Autism Spectrum Disorder students. It is highly recommended by Autism Life admin and staff. We purchased our 2019 14th edition on Amazon for around $25.