How Bridges to Adelphi Changes Lives for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Christopher Greco is a senior majoring in communications at Adelphi University. He is also a member of the Bridges to Adelphi Program, which provides individualized comprehensive academic, social, and vocational services for Adelphi students with autism spectrum disorder. He recently spoke to the LI Pulse about his experience at Adelphi and in the Bridges program.

“When I look back at the beginning of my freshman year, I was kind of socially withdrawn and a perfectionist,” Greco told the LI Pulse. “Through working with Mitch [Nagler, the program’s director], I learned to stop being so hard on myself when it comes to schoolwork and to learn how to balance a proper work schedule. And if I’m not doing as well as I want, to find a way to get myself up to standards again.”

In high school, Greco was an honor-roll student, but experienced bullying and other social challenges. At Adelphi, he has held an on-campus job and landed an internship at the local public access television station.

Mitch Nagler, M.A. ’06, director of the Bridges to Adelphi Program, emphasized that Bridges students are part of the Adelphi community. “They’re involved in all the community service, clubs, jobs,” he said. “One of the former students in the Bridges program created the mobile app for the University because we got him a job in IT.”

Read the LI Pulse article.