We were honored to share the expertise and experience of Colin Brady with the Beyond Akeela community through a free webinar. Colin is the Director of Student Success at Mitchell College, which includes his support of students in the Thames and Mystic programs. He is also a co-founder of the Middlebridge School and held the role of Director of Transition Services there. Colin has dedicated his career to supporting neurodiverse teens and young adults make successful transitions to college.
Keys to a successful post-secondary transition
In this presentation, Colin outlines some of the key factors to consider when planning your teens transition:
- Self-awareness: One of the most important things families can do is engage their students in conversations about goals for after high school. It’s never too early to start! This leads to a stronger student understanding of their readiness and heightens their self-awareness. Self-awareness allows students to recognize when they need help, and feel confident advocating for their needs.
- Social Outlets: Finding the right academic fit is important in the college search. Of equal importance is finding the right social fit for your student. When visiting and gathering information on schools, it is critical to consider the social environment your teen will enter. What kinds of clubs are there? How do students gather at the school? We wrote about the correlation between connectedness and college success in our previous blog if you’d like more information on the importance of finding the right social fit.
- Transition Team: Developing a team around your student to help them navigate their transition to college is crucial. Team members can come from the student’s home, school, professional services, or anyone who knows your student well and is committed to their success. A good transition team brings different perspectives to your student’s readiness.
We hope you find this webinar informative, and encourage you to reach out should you have any questions.
Do you have a neurodiverse teen preparing to transition into a post-secondary program or college? We’d love to chat and see how we can help!
