Targum spotlight: U. Adult Autism Services provides mentoring, specialized support

The College Support Program (CSP) at the Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services (RCAAS) is an initiative that seeks to make support and resources available to neurodivergent students at the University.

Ian Bober, senior coordinator for the CSP, said that the program aims to ease challenges faced by neurodivergent students. For first-year students in particular, there are also difficulties associated with the high school to college transition, so the program leverages its relationship with learning centers, the Office of Disability Services and other University resources that are equipped to assist these students.

Instructors also use the CSP's resources and advice to make their lectures more accessible to neurodivergent students, he said.

After securing funding from the Strategic Investment Fund under Rutgers—New Brunswick Chancellor Francine Conway's guidance, the CSP has expanded to provide services to students with autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Recently, the CSP adopted the Accessing Campus Connections and Empowering Student Success (ACCESS) program, a specialized support framework that became available during the 2024-2025 academic year, Bober said. Although the ACCESS program served students with ADHD, the CSP modified it to support the needs of students with autism due to their shared challenges in cognitive functioning and planning.

According to the CSP's website, the program charges fees for certain ACCESS services. In the future, Bober hopes to remove them so that more students can access the CSP's services.

Another major part of the CSP is the Peer Mentor program, where undergraduate students encourage social interaction among neurodivergent peers by spending time with them. In one subset of the program, each CSP student is paired with two peer mentors, and they are required to spend at least one hour together per week, he said.

Despite the required socializing, social skills are intended to develop organically in the Peer Mentor program, he clarified.

"Socializing is hard. So, having a program where you are expected to socialize is going to be a challenge, necessarily," he said. "So, some of our students do perceive it as work, but again, the more times they get the opportunity to socialize, the easier it becomes, ideally."

He described that another hurdle is distinguishing between the role of a peer mentor and a friend. Although both CSP students and peer mentors know about the short duration of their relationship, students can struggle if their mentors graduate or otherwise leave the program.

CSP staff members must, therefore, strike a balance between fostering independence and providing support, he noted. The coordinators may initially help connect students to the Office of Disability Services or communicate with professors, but as students become more comfortable, they are encouraged to seek help on their own.

In addition to addressing academic and social needs, monitoring mental well-being is a significant facet of the CSP, Bober explained. The CSP partners with the in-house Psychological Services Clinic at RCAAS and off-campus specialists who perform routine mental health check-ins and risk assessments.

According to Bober, patience is vital to building trust and connection with CSP students. Assessing their unique needs and personality types and creating a safe dialogue for students to discuss their hardships strengthens relationships, he said.

"Getting to know a professor is difficult for any student. Getting to know a professor when you have a challenge with social interaction is more difficult," Bober said. "So, (the) CSP makes Rutgers possible for students that would otherwise have a lot more difficulty succeeding."