Autism Goes To College
Autism Goes To College
EPISODE 32: Bryson's taking his talents to CTC - how Career Training Centers build skills, community, and a path to college/work
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Career Training Centers offer students on the spectrum experiential learning in ways that can prepare them for college or work. At Miller CTC in Los Angeles, high school graduates or students with a GED can explore training in everything from auto detailing and repair to professional baking and food service, retail, landscaping, and even media arts - including behind-the-camera work and digital editing. Bryson is in his second year at Miller, an LAUSD public school, where he says the programs are excellent, the social opportunities have been extremely beneficial and he's already enrolled in one class at Pierce College, with the goal of transferring there next year. Bryson talks about his experience, along with one of his teachers Cindy McGee, who explains the range of what the school and Miller community has to offer to students on the spectrum looking for their next step.
Now that I'm genuinely enjoying my social life at Hamilton, I'm more incentivized to actually be social.
SPEAKER_08Having autism isn't something that should prevent people from having a successful college experience. It takes work.
SPEAKER_00Join clubs, find groups, find your people, find ways to fit in, see a peer mentor, see somebody who can help you get involved on campus.
SPEAKER_04There were a lot of black children on the spectrum who were also deaf. She's not the first one.
SPEAKER_03I researched all of the majors and I eliminated the ones that sounded not interesting to me. So then I changed it to chemical engineering to work with chemistry. Then I took an environmental science class and I'm like, I think environmental issues are really important, and I'm really passionate about state sustainability and stuff. So then I changed it to finally environmental engineering.
SPEAKER_02Especially in a college town like Don't DoorDash. Like, just go out and get the food. That's good exercise.
SPEAKER_07Hey everyone! Thanks for joining us on this episode of Autism Goes to College, the podcast for students on the spectrum and for everyone who supports us. Navigating college is always a challenge, so here are the hacks, insights, and great ideas you've been looking for to make college work for you. We're a small group of self-advocates. We're all in college or recently graduated, and you can do this too.
SPEAKER_06Hey everyone. Eric Lynn Thorse directed the film, and it premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival in 2019, and was also selected to screen at South by Southwest EDU in 2020, which of course happened online. At the end of this episode, I'll give you some details about where you can see the film today. And it's all at our website, autismgoes to college.org. So, with screenings limited since the pandemic began, the team wanted to open up the conversation and created this podcast. The first five episodes featured the stars of the film talking in more depth about their college experiences and what they are up to now. And since then, we've talked to students on the spectrum all over the map, sharing all kinds of experiences, working towards degrees and certificates around the country, plus a college counselor, parent perspectives, and admissions officers. Every month we drop a new episode. Here's what's also new there's a resource center on our website with dozens of outtakes of important stuff that didn't quite make it into the film, all of the podcast episodes, and blogs from experts and from student advisors from the film. Fun fact this project was recognized as the best of the internet in 2022 by the Webby Awards Anthem Awards, winning gold for diversity, equity, and inclusion. And we keep making it better. This podcast is here for us to share and open up the conversation and include more insights from self-advocates on the spectrum. Same with the Resource Center. So reach out if you'd like to get involved or have ideas for us. Let us know what would make it more meaningful and valuable, or what you'd like to contribute. And thanks for listening. We do hope to hear from you. Bryson is a student at the Miller Career and Technical Center, which is a part of the Los Angeles Unified School System, where he's working on skills in the media arts. He's been a co-anchor of the school's video news broadcast and recently appeared as a roving on-camera reporter for the Question of the Week Feature Show. He asks teachers and peers around campus, who's got your back? Sydney McGee is a special education teacher and media arts instructor who's worked with Bryson at Miller. Miller CTC is a learning center for students who have eighth gen or K-12 classes but want to continue their learning and special education services in a vocational setting. In short, they want job skills that will be relevant in our economy and life skills that we need to navigate the complexities of work, transportation, housing needs, and the social situations that go along with all of that. For many students who leave high school or get their GED, the next best step after that is not traditional college, but the kind of skills and community-based work experiences and hands-on vocational programs that help them become self-advocates who are independent members of their communities. And that is the Miller Center mission. Bryson and Cindy, thank you so much for joining me on the podcast. So, Bryson, can you tell me a little bit about the program you're doing at Miller?
SPEAKER_09I'm at currently at Miller CTC in um California. I'm at the um auto-detailing. It's pretty good. Um, a little bit you know stressful, but you know, working on you know big heavy machine cars um compared to working with um heavy um cameras. Last year I was with uh Miss Cindy's class. So yeah, it's a difference. You know, I like working with cars. Uh mainly I kind of get my hands a little bit dirty on the vehicle. Uh but washing cars is actually good. Um, I like that than um then some other programs I'm in.
SPEAKER_06What kind of projects do you get to work on with the cars?
SPEAKER_09So I kind of like wash down the car from like the hood up to probably the grill or car as well. Um I guess a pretty good technique. So now they just how to wash the car, how to you know spray down it. You can like I kind of do it as like a uh motorsports pick crew version of it because I had to be like really quick because I like being quick as well. Um yeah, it's pretty good.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. Have you done programs at Miller that are not auto before you found this auto detailing?
SPEAKER_09I'm currently in the best program, which I'm going to work tomorrow for uh Rock to Spectrum. I've actually done there for the last couple weeks, last month, or at least a couple weeks and months this year. Um, it's been really great. I've I love the program. Uh it's pretty simple, it's very straightforward. It's um you just not like walking in the classroom, you kind of get ready for it, and uh the job is really good. It's pretty simple, straightforward to the point. Uh work with kids as well. They don't really say hi or interact with me, but they stay in there around.
SPEAKER_06Yeah, so is that is that like a job shattering program that you get to do with Rock the Spectrum?
SPEAKER_09Yes. The best program. We actually work at the Rock the Spectrum. There's plenty of other other jobs as well. Uh if I can recall, I think there's one in Smarts Final. Um, there's one in there's another Rock the Spectrum one as well. It's actually a really good program. It's got some uh really good kids as well.
SPEAKER_06That sounds like a really wonderful supported work experience. Oh cool. Tell me a little bit about your background, Bryson. How did you find these programs at Miller?
SPEAKER_09I don't really know. It's kind of like all uh one big storm, and I kind of just stepped in and like also I'm here at the best program. Um but yeah, like it is kind of a little bit weird because I didn't really expect myself to be in a you know program this early in my second year at Miller. Um, but I was surprised, you know, by like the how many students could show up to that program. And I mean uh job coaches as well, none of them are too serious, all of them are kind of laid back and very fun. And the students are well, the students are cool, some of them are kind of quiet, some of them are energetic, and some of them are more very social, some of them popular as well.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. Did did you go to uh an LA high school before you came to Miller?
SPEAKER_09I've been to El Camino Charterell High School, I liked it as well, and that's the school I went to before I went to Miller.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. How did you choose what was next for you after high school?
SPEAKER_09I think uh I went on a tour right around like mid-May of 2022 at um I went to like Miller C D C. And at the time I didn't know probably anything, you know, like we're where's the school is kind of very tucked away, it's kind of small. It's right next to Cleveland. So I kind of like this is gonna be tricky. My expectations were kind of low. I didn't really know what to expect now here I am at Miller with a lot of new friends, especially their girlfriend as well. Um, yeah, it's it's awesome.
SPEAKER_06So would you say that the program at Miller has been a good fit?
SPEAKER_09Yeah, it's been a it's been a good fit. I had a pretty slow start and beginning half of the summer school. And yeah, I kind of got better and better once uh the real semester began. I was like, okay, this is pretty simple and nothing really too serious. It is a very simple, you know, program. And it I know it's uh special needs one, it's a little bit, you know, different, but it is kind of like an alternative path to college as well. Like I've seen a few good um autistic kids or special needs kids got good opportunities. Um, like Kevin, I think he's working at Walgreens and some other students working at Walgreens as well, some in our breast programs, and then Ari Pierce College, some in our UCLA as well.
SPEAKER_06Fantastic. So there's a lot of pathways to success. We saw you do um some student news for Miller. How did you get involved with Question of the Week? Who's got your back?
SPEAKER_09Oh, yeah, I did that last year in 2023 with um assist by Miss Sydney and uh a lot of my crew members as well. I wasn't really too nervous about it because I kind of know like I've been watching like sports for like a long, long time. I kind of know like, okay, no pressure, it's just like I'm just interviewing students and also like adults as well. Some of my talks I'm gonna do. And I was like, okay, this is gonna be pretty good. Um, asked like a few good questions to some students as well, and that that thing actually was really popular, and I was like, okay, this is actually a improvement for me. Like, huh? I'm not really surprised I could be this good in commentating or uh interviewing students as well.
SPEAKER_06Cindy, can you tell us a little bit more about Miller? Sort of a snapshot of the student population and uh what the vibe is on campus.
SPEAKER_05Miller is a very unique school. It's the first CTC in Los Angeles, first of all. We started that whole movement for students with disabilities, moderate to severe, to learn job skills. So CTC stands for career and transition. And the founder that ultimately started Miller, he's no longer there at the school, but his name was Wayne. He just had a vision that rather than just give them academics, academics, academics, they needed work programs where they were learning actual soft skills, hard skills, how to be in a workplace. So Miller has a retail store, a bakery, it has a Miller Cafe, we have a wood shop, a landscaping shop, we have a uh textiles where they're making knitting and weavings. Uh, my program, Media Arts, where they're learning to do broadcasts and journalism type things. So there are several programs: the car wash, they're learning to work as a team and wash cars. It's just a unique concept, and the vibe is you need to get ready for your next step. We want them to know that everything we're doing is about their next step in life.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. So approaching learning with that destination of the next step in life in mind, how does that play out at Miller?
SPEAKER_05Every program is geared to teach them cooperation skills, communication skills, and life skills. Those are the three strands that we all focus on. And every program, while we're all so different and unique, we're basically doing the same thing. Here's what you do for this job. You do A, you do B, you do C. Here's how you communicate if you're having trouble with any of that. Here's how you work as a group, and here's how we get along. So those are the skill sets. I mean, it seems very basic, but you go, I've been in jobs where people don't know how to do that. They really don't understand. And our students are really getting that for four years in four different work programs. Um, people like Bryson, he's what you would call a high flyer. He's not probably gonna spend four years at Miller. So you can spend up to four years there? You can spend up actually you can spend up to 22. So if you come in at 17, you have until 22.
SPEAKER_06Tell me a little bit more about the media arts classes you teach. What sort of resources do your students have that they might not find at a more typical post-high school program?
SPEAKER_05It's a pretty in-depth program. We have um Canon M50s for each student, tripods, all the gear that goes with that. They each have their own iMac and they are able to edit their pro their work on that iMac. And then we have a studio which is featuring a green screened room. That's where we shoot our broadcast. So we go in the field and we do work, we go around the school doing work, but we also have our own studio where we can do in-studio type things.
SPEAKER_06So I imagine that students at Miller might be on the spectrum. What ways do you approach differentiating your instruction or approaching learning differently based on student work styles and needs?
SPEAKER_05I I think what I do best is um listen to each student and address them for what they need. I tend to take a very slow pace. Um, like if I'm playing a video, I'll slow it down. I s I it's going too fast for me. So I figure everybody could use that lower speed. I give directions pictorial. I give directions several different ways, layered directions. If someone has a real sensory issue, I'm very cognizant of the sounds in the room and how are we making the environment? How is that working for everybody? I am a board certified music therapist, so I'm also cognizant that music can help to set a better mood. So I'll put on music or I'll put on soft sounds and nothing with words, uh, just to kind of settle everybody down. You know, I'm very aware of the social emotional because I feel like if people know that you get them and that you're trying to get them, they meet you halfway.
SPEAKER_06Absolutely. How do you come up with the projects that the students work on in media arts? Do they or do they come up with their projects?
SPEAKER_05It's a combination. We do a writer's room, like we're getting ready to go into writer's room on our broadcast, and in that writer's room, we start throwing out ideas. And what what about doing a movie review? What about doing this? What about and then we decide what we're going to put in this broadcast, and then we start writing. And we just got onto Chat GPT. So they're realizing that writing is made easier now with just putting in questions, and you can get a whole script. So that's giving us a lot more accessibility to what we need. But the ideas are kind of they just generate organically. I I happen to be listening to something on the radio, and I heard a man say, Tell me the story of your name. And there was something about that that just felt like, well, there's a there's a documentary right there. And so what we did was we took the story of your name, and that became each student researching their name, interviewing their parents, finding out the meaning, bringing in B-roll to match what they wrote, writing it, and then we recorded it. And each one has their own piece on YouTube now.
SPEAKER_06That is a what a beautiful generative question to turn into an entire project. Bryson, what aspects of Miller are you enjoying the most? Has there been like a favorite project?
SPEAKER_09There's a lot of really good projects in Miller. Um, my favorite ones are the boutique store. You know, there's a lot of cool students as well, especially Metagirl there as well. She's my girlfriend now. It's cool like to work at Miller and um Media Arts has been looking pretty good over there. There's a whole lot of good things in Miller. Like I did not really notice uh when I came there two years ago. But now, like, huh, this place is cool. This place is very small and very, you know, simple, it's not too big, kind of like UCLA or UC.
SPEAKER_06So what about things that have been challenging? Have there been unexpected challenges?
SPEAKER_09There have been some unexpected challenges with the communication. There's some some students in school who don't talk, and some of them are self-centered, and some of them are very, you know, um very upbeat and all that stuff, like kind of like me, a little bit. That's kind of been the challenging part because that's how I like realize like some people have different you know communications that like until like in high school I would talk to all the talks to feel the same. It's like it's a very big difference in this school. Because when I went back when I went to El Camino, the uh special least program was very small. It wasn't really big, it was very neat, very small and kind of in a corner a lot compared to you know the bigger, popular students out there. Now here in Miller, it's more like it's not like a small circle, it's like a big circle. And now like everybody you know that's on the spectrum or have a disability can join the school as well. So I gotta say it's it's pretty good. Um mentioned about, I mean I mentioned about is um, yeah, they have like a sports program as well. They they have volleyball, they have dodgeball as well. They did basketball for a while. Um also like the uh half a marathon, I vent to that one as well. Because yeah, like you know, like seeing a simple little racetrack and like, okay, maybe like students can run on here and you know, I don't I know not raced yet, but um maybe soon I'll get back in and maybe start winning. But um it's it's all for fun. It's not too serious, not like we're a championship, it's not like the best player gets ranked down most of the, you know, like the NFL and all of a sudden. No, it's it's it's Miller. It's Miller, it's very simple, it's all for fun. It kind of minds you have like a little bit of like a I don't know, like an elementary school. It's kind of all for fun, nothing too serious. It kind of minds out a little bit.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. So what kind of skills have you learned or what skills are you looking to learn next?
SPEAKER_09I'm really good at socializing as well. So I'm on that path to improve my socializing uh in school as well, and you know, outside of the community as well. It might be a little bit difficult because there's so many people you know out there as well. Like Miller is a little bit simple. I can kind of find some people I can talk to, then that's it. Um, but yeah, like I'm on that path of socializing. I'm I'm a pretty big social guy as well. And um, I'm I'm kind of glad Miller picked me as like the probably like the generational talent or the superstar of Miller. And um, you know, I've kind of created like a pretty big effect on this school. Like I really loved it as well. Again, Richard Sweet, you keep giving me all high praises and all the stuff. Like, what? That's like that normally does not happen. I'm really good.
SPEAKER_06That's awesome. What about um besides the social skills that will really help on the job? Are there uh employment-related schools that you're learning that are um maybe like technical?
SPEAKER_09Technical. Um, haven't really well, yeah. There is one in uh Pierce College. We're talking about like computers and all that stuff, but like which wire is this computer and like hard drives and all that stuff. That's in Pierce College. There's only one class, it's actually a pretty good teacher as well. Um I really like it. You know, that's um it's pretty simple, it's not too complicated. Um, again, I was kind of expecting that okay, it's gonna be a little bit tricky going to Pierce College because yeah, it's gonna be a little bit serious, but like, okay, never mind. Everyone else is pretty calm and everyone's pretty good with with the chutter and the teacher's pretty good as well. Like, okay, it looks like um Pierce College is gonna be pretty good for me as well.
SPEAKER_05Can I just interject something here? I've known uh Bryson since his first year. He was in my program, the media arts program last year, and then I've watched him this year, and I have seen an amazing amount of growth in terms of his socialization. Bryson didn't used to stand in groups. Now he's the center of everything. He's like a hub. Everybody's around him. He's laughing. He's enjoying himself. And honestly, that's a huge change. But it's a very important one because that's how he's going to go to his next job, his next level. To be able to socialize like that, network, make friends, make connections. He has really blossomed. So I just want to make that note. And Bryson, I see you, and I'm just in awe.
SPEAKER_06I think that's wonderful. So it sounds like your next step, your next focus is Pierce College. What do you like so much about Pierce College? You said it's a good learning environment. What makes it good for you?
SPEAKER_09So far, um, Pierce College for the next for the last two weeks has been pretty good. But yeah, like it's really cool. Uh it's a pretty simple place. And if I do that for a full-time job, it's a full-time opportunity. Um, it might be a little bit difficult for me to kind of go transit from Miller to Pierce College because Pierce College is so big and so different. But yeah, like Pierce College, I think it's gonna be pretty good. I'm looking forward to it. Just gotta get through these five and a half months of this uh year so far, and I think it could be a good opportunity as well. If not, then we can do like a part-time role as well. So I wouldn't join it for that.
SPEAKER_06Brayson and Cindy both, and and I'll have Bryson's answer first. What advice do you have for students on the spectrum like you who are moving beyond high school and looking to plan for a career path, but they're not necessarily sure about college?
SPEAKER_09You know, maybe ask your parents first, but like, hey, you like how about I can take my chances or take my talents to to Miller, maybe like a startup. And it can like, yeah, it's gonna be a little bit difficult for them because the kids are might be a little bit different. You know, it's not gonna be like, you know, like in high school, you're gonna have like your your popular kids over here, your jocks, your cheerleaders, you all that stuff. It's very like small, it's kind of like a different circle. It's it's gonna be a little bit weird, but like once you get better and better, you're gonna know you're gonna meet a lot of cool friends. And you know, potentially you could get a girlfriend. So you can if you try, you could try. Um, yeah, I've seen some boys as well, give a good shot at it. I was like, Yeah, yeah, good link. But yeah, like uh when I leave the school, if potentially, I don't know, by like the end of June, I was like, Oh, you're going to Pierce College, Bryce. I was like, okay. Um most likely, I think a few new ones might go look at like a picture or two on me. I was like, who's this guy? Like, people might tell, like, this guy was a legend of the school. He was the best school, best kid in the school, and he was a girlfriend. He had like all this cool stuff. He loved racing. I was like, yeah, like, okay, I might be one of like Sam Miller. And like for the new ones for the boys and the girls, like, just it might be weird for at the summer school, it might be exhausting in summer school because it's hot out there. God, like, God help you. Um, and by like, when the real stuff happens, don't be stressful, don't they get too anxious, don't try to get too nervous, just kind of yo lever your expectations. It's only just the first couple weeks of school. And once you get better and better and better, you're gonna blossom and you could be the next prison.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. Give yourself permission to power through the discomfort and the awkward feelings and explore.
SPEAKER_09Yeah. And it doesn't matter where you're from, doesn't matter you're African-American like me, or you know, go by different pronouns, or you're you know, young, but a little bit experienced, it doesn't matter who you are. Everybody came from the United States of America, all out there in Tokyo. Like, you have a good opportunity to be successful in Miller as well. Like, it's not a competition, it's a school, it's a CTC, it's a startup to college. If you get it right, you get it right. If you don't get it right, you can try it again.
SPEAKER_05Wow. I don't know what to say. You covered every base, Bryson, but I'm gonna dovetail and just say um to new students that are in that moment where they're about to leave high school and they're not sure what's next. Miller is a wonderful place to find out and to spread your wings a little and try things and go in, maybe not expecting too much, and then all of a sudden you find out I really like cooking, or I really like making things, or I really like editing movies. You know, you'll be surprised what might what you might do and what you might enjoy. And it's four years of just exploration and learning. And I think that's a great thing.
SPEAKER_06Yeah. Well, thank you both so much for sharing your experience and talking to us about Miller and for giving such phenomenal advice to students that are going to follow in your footsteps, Brayson. Thank you. Thank you.
SPEAKER_05Great opportunity.
SPEAKER_06So that is our show for today. Thank you so much for listening, for following us on Instagram and Facebook, and thank you especially for adding your reviews on Apple Podcast. Our show is very specifically for students on the spectrum navigating college, and we appreciate your appreciation for Autism Goes to College. Now, as promised from the top, here are the ways to see the film. The documentary film Autism Goes to College is currently available through many channels, but the easiest way to see it today is to rent it on Vimeo On Demand, which you can access from your Apple TV or most other smart TVs by going to the Vimeo On Demand app. You can find a link on our website at www.autismgoes to college.org. The film is also available for educational use and for live and hybrid screening events. All the relevant info and links can be found on our website. Don't forget, please follow us on Instagram to stay current and consider joining our vibrant community on Facebook. Thank you for listening. Hey, one more thing. If you're listening right now, I'd like to ask you to take a minute and do us a favor, write a review of Autism Goes to College on Apple Podcasts. This podcast is free for everyone to listen to anytime, but reviews from listeners like you can help us make the case to funders that this content matters. So, if you found the Autism Goes to College podcast interesting or helpful, please take a moment and review us now on Apple Podcasts. Just a couple of sentences about what you've liked best. Thank you. And thank you for your support of Autism Goes to College.