Category Independence
How Does Autism Affect Students in College?
Making the decision to go away to college is an exciting opportunity, and it provides students with the opportunity to be exposed to new ideas and perspectives, new people, and new chances to grow as an independent young adult. As…
College Success Can Not Be Faked
A supported start in an authentic college experience provides real rewards...
Executive Functioning & Embedded College Support Programs For Students With Asperger’s, ASD, ADHD, and Learning Disabilities
A Case For Integrated Case Management Many diverse learners have been well-served by the recent proliferation of on-campus and embedded support programs. They exist in both traditional and specialized colleges, and they provide a wide range of additional supports and…
Colleges for Students with Learning Disabilities
College should, and can, be a place where all types of students can learn, grow, and thrive – including students with identified learning disabilities and/or learning differences. Making the transition from home and high school academics to college and independence…
Coaching Diverse Learners to Success
In the United States Marine Corps (USMC) thirteen week bootcamp, many lessons are imparted to recruits from their drill instructors. One more recent lesson specifically designed by the USMC is to awaken a recruit’s internal locus of control. This is…
Education, Empowerment, and Community: The Women of Mansfield Hall
On Saturday, March 25th, a group of 16 women gathered in the Mansfield Hall cafe in leggings and athletic wear. Donuts from Dunkin, combined with the promise of punching and kicking out some stress or anger, served as adequate motivation…
If Wishes Were Horses & How Do You Eat An Elephant?: A Menagerie of Metaphors On The Importance of Setting Social SMART Goals
It is the New Year, which is officially “Resolution Season.” Case in point: January is by far the most popular month to join a fitness club, and your local gym will likely see up to a 50% uptick in utilization…
If Only College Were As Easy As Calculus: The Only Three Questions That Should Be On A College Entrance Exam
SAT’s, ACT’s, AP Courses, AP Subject Exams, test prep, causes and effects of the Russian Revolution, pythagorean theorems and quadratic equations, mitosis, and Newton’s three laws. Fully fill in the bubble. Triple-check the answer sheet. Re-write the entrance essay –…
A Rally Cry for Diverse Learners Heading to College
Rise Up My Fellow Jackhammers and Set Your Sights on the Stairs that Rise Before You. The commencement of a new college year is upon us and the call to those who challenge the paradigm of these institutions is louder…
Goal Setting for Students with Asperger’s Syndrome
Why goal setting takes time. Because it is a risk. Because it means saying out loud (at least to ourselves, but probably to others) that we want to change, grow, and build new skills. This takes courage. This takes hard…
Feeling overwhelmed in college- but not sure why? you’re not alone.
The key isn’t just “pushing through”, it’s learning to recognize what’s happening before you hit that wall, and having systems to reset.
That might look like:
• stepping outside for a walk
• box breathing between classes
• putting on a guided meditation
• reaching out to someone you trust
Small supports = big difference over time.
At Mansfield Hall, we help students build the awareness and tools to regulate, recharge, and navigate college in a way that actually works for them.
What’s one thing that helps you reset when you’re overwhelmed?
#CollegeLife #StudentMentalHealth #ExecutiveFunction #StressManagement
Excellent week across the board!
People Ops team member Jo touched down in Madison, receiving a warm welcome with coffee and a trip to see the Capitol building. VP of Program Ops Hayley grounded herself and took in the beauty of the Statehouse. Pancakes were served, and Burlington student Nikhil took the stage to perform with his choir.
A great week to zoom out and back in- and reflect on all the things we have to be grateful for!
#collegesupport #neurodiversity #worklifebalance
College can be energizing… and draining.
If you’ve ever felt socially exhausted, you’re not alone.
Understanding your limits (and what helps you recharge) can make all the difference.
#CollegeStudents #Neurodiversity #StudentWellbeing
Hangin` in there until spring weather kicks in!
This week at Mansfield Hall our Eugene, OR students did some rock climbing, Burlington, VT connections students took an outing to the bowling alley/arcade, while others took a trip to a local sugar house to learn about all things maple syrup. Students in Madison, WI continued their endeavors to learn about all things maintenance...and they make it look fun!
Happy Friday Friends- enjoy the weekend.
Mansfield Hall had the joy of hosting some professionals at our Madison, WI location recently, which included a student panel.
One of the questions asked was: What do you like about Mansfield Hall?
The answer: how inclusive it is.
No one gets to choose the brain they have, but we do get to choose the world we create. We choose to accept, celebrate, and work toward a world that’s more inclusive of every brain and the incredible things they can do.
Happy World Autism Awareness Day. We see you, and we celebrate you for all that you are and all that you can be!
❤️MH
#autismawareness #neurodiversity #collegesupport
Sensory overload happens when your brain receives more sensory input than it can comfortably process.
Our nervous systems are constantly taking in information, but when there’s too much coming in (or it’s coming too fast) our systems can become overwhelmed.
We get it, and it can be managed with small, intentional supports like reducing input, creating predictable routines, and building in quiet recovery time.
