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Support and Social Groups: An Essential and Vital Need of the Autistic Community
During all of the years since I was first diagnosed on the autism spectrum, support groups have been a constant part of my life in a variety of ways. Having attended, facilitated, and served in organizations that sponsored such groups, I came to appreciate their importance to those on the spectrum...
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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 aging 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...
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Defining Care for High-Functioning Adults with Autism
A lost art in modern conversation (not surprisingly, as we are quite possibly the busiest society in world history) is the definition of one’s terms. To be sure, this requires time and patience; but by clarifying all foundational points, we make the rest of the conversation much easier....
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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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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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Community Autism Socials at Yale (Project CASY): Developing Group Intervention for Adults Living with Autism
Recommending a “social skills” group is a very common intervention seen in treatment plans of both children and adults living with autism. Despite their popularity, the evidence supporting the effectiveness of social skills groups in children is limited and the situation is more serious in...
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The Direct Care Collaborative – Two Populations in Crisis: Adults with Severe Autism and Those That Support Them
As most of us who are reading this page know, there is a paradoxical relationship between the increasing numbers of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) entering adulthood every year and the decline in available services. Indeed, the number of adults (22+) with autism is estimated at 200,000,...
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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 by ABA. A woman who 8 months ago had a...
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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...
