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The Importance of Community Social Participation for Adults with ASD
Over the past ten years, researchers have been investigating the quality of life and overall functioning of adults with ASD (Orsmond, G.I., et al., 2013; Billstedt, E., et al., 2011; Robertson, S.M., 2010; Renty, J.O. & Roeyers, H., 2006). A consistent finding across these studies is the...
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The Dilemma of Aging Parents with Adults with Autism Still Living at Home
In a summary of key findings from the 2015 National Autism Indicators Report, we parents now have confirmation: “Young adults with autism had the lowest rate of independent living (19%) compared to their peers with other disabilities.”1 The 2015 State of the State in Developmental Disability...
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Adults and Autism: Insights and Changes from a Clinical Perspective
It has been six years since I first wrote on the topic of evidence-based behavioral health treatment for adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I would like to revisit this subject to address progress in the field. Without substantive data to help guide behavioral and therapeutic...
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Two Case Studies of Success Using ABA to Increase Independence for Adults with Developmental Disabilities
“I had a doctor finally help me with my head, and now I feel so much better. I got glasses when I needed them. I couldn’t have a job before because I was always in the hospital. Now I can get a job.” These are the words of a 36-year-old woman transformed. A woman who 8 months ago had a future...
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Building Comprehensive, ABA-Informed Services in an Adult Residential Setting
Throughout the United States, services for school-aged children with Autism have been bolstered by IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Of the services IDEA has made available, those informed by the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA) are gaining broad recognition as the...
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The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation’s “NYC Overload Project” Creates Employment for Singer/Songwriters
Envisioning and then creating innovative employment opportunities for adults living with Autism has always been a hallmark of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation’s mission. Last spring, while attending a performance by participants from The Miracle Project New York, the seeds of another new...
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Health Care Directives: A Safeguard and a Support
It is essential for all adults to execute advance planning documents, especially those adults on the autism spectrum who have the capacity to do so. Chief among these estate planning documents is the health care directive. Often, parents make all health care decisions for their child for the first...
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Tackling the Unemployment Crisis for Adults with Asperger Syndrome
Those of us who are touched by autism – either personally or professionally – are all too aware of the statistics for this population. In its most recent estimates, the Center for Disease control projects that 1 in 110 individuals in the U.S. are born with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)....
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Thinking Outside of the Box: Modifying Evidence-Based Approaches to Fit the Needs of Adults on the Autism Spectrum
There is a lot we know about Autism Spectrum Disorders from evidence based research. But I think with all of the confusion of services, treatments and therapies, there remains much that we are still learning when working with adults on the spectrum. I believe there is a genuine army of...
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From Modeling to Mentoring for Adults with Autism
Bittersweet Farms (BSF), a private non-profit organization that provides holistic programs for adults with autism, was opened in 1983, when the incidence of autism was reported to be 1 in 10,000 births. The founder was a Toledo Public School teacher, Bettye Ruth Kay, who became fascinated with...
