-
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...
-
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)....
-
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...
-
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...
-
Support that Really Works – LifeMAP Coaching for Adults with Asperger Syndrome
Toni (name changed) has lived alone for most of her 63 years, plagued with a nagging sense of hopelessness and never enough money. With no family supports to speak of, she often felt utterly alone. Her tiny government-subsidized apartment used to be crammed floor-to-ceiling with old books, papers,...
-
Support Groups Build Connections and Skills for Adults with ASD
Many adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience stress in their daily lives and feel socially isolated. The challenges of adulthood are many and varied, and many adults with ASD have few friends with whom to share those challenging experiences. Support groups for adults with ASD, when...
-
Closer to the Dream of a Brighter Future for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
In 2002, when The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation developed its first three programs for adolescents and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and awarded grants to support them, no one in the autism community was talking about adults with autism. That was the point. During my son Danny’s...
-
Key Issues in Therapy with Adults with Asperger’s
I have several guiding principles when working with adults with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). First and foremost, people with AS are more like than unlike the rest of us. AS individuals experience the same emotions, thoughts, life situations and challenges as anyone else. Therefore, when working...
-
Meeting the Needs of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
People with autism spectrum disorders face lifelong challenges and require lifelong services. The services needed vary tremendously from person to person and across different ages. The needs of adolescents and adults with autism are great, yet their access to services is often poor. Families must...
-
Adults, Autism, Asperger’s and Social Skills – All the World is a Stage
The ever-growing number of children with autism spectrum disorder aging out into adult systems of care should give us pause. Finding the constellation of services for this population will be one of the great challenges any of us working the field today will be faced with. Whether talking about...
