At the center of the AACHIEVE program is the one-to-one weekly meeting with your faculty mentor. Here, you will have the opportunity to develop goals related to academic, social, and vocational success. You will work with your mentor to monitor and rate the achievement of your goals, which are modified and changed depending on your needs.
AACHIEVE: Autism Support
The AACHIEVE program (An Autism College Innovation for Educational and Vocational Excellence) offers tailored support to students on the autism spectrum who are eager to pursue an associate degree at Bucks. AACHIEVE focuses on helping students build self-advocacy, social skills, executive function and time management skills, and interpersonal abilities, setting them up for success in both their academic journey and future employment.
Students will meet weekly with a faculty mentor, enjoy special hang outs with peers, and meet regularly to discuss topics of interest. In support of their goals, our dedicated team will work with students to connect them to their strengths, turn challenges into learning opportunities, and utilize College resources to further their academic journey. Some of these resources include:
- Peer mentors
- Academic tutoring
- Career counseling
- Social activities
Program highlights
Faculty mentor
Hang-out with peers
A weekly hang-out provides a safe space to discuss weekly activities and develop friendships. Hang-outs outside of school are organized by students and include parties, game nights, movie nights and bowling. We also encourage you to join clubs at the College.
Structured meetings
A weekly structured meeting centers around topics of interest, such as executive function, social skills, career development skills, self-advocacy, self-regulation and problem solving.
Program cost
The AACHIEVE program costs $1,000 per semester. Financial aid and scholarships may be available. If you are enrolled with the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR), you may have the program cost covered. The director of AACHIEVE can provide more information on how-to enroll in OVR.
Apply to AACHIEVE
To apply to the AACHIEVE program or for more information, contact program director, Dr. Karen Kaplinski at karen.kaplinski@bucks.edu or call 215-262-1954. Assistant director, Beth Tentilucci can be reached at beth.tentilucci@bucks.edu.