by Kathy Boccella

Joseph Brennan is a bright high school senior looking forward to college next year. But because he is on the autism spectrum, he struggles with the prospect of living on his own in a dormitory.

This year, he has a chance to practice – to cook, clean, cope with roommates, handle stress, and (tricky for any college student) manage his time. He and seven other teenagers are getting that dry run in a new boarding program at the Main Line’s Hill Top Preparatory School that aims to ease the way into campus life for prospective collegians with milder autism spectrum disorders.