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Brilliance in Motion: How Autistic Students Navigate Unpredictable School Environments
The high school where I worked operated without the basic structures most people associate with education. There were no bells, no traditional classes, no grades. Students moved between community internships and loosely defined independent projects, navigating spaces filled with noise, movement,...
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The Autism Society of America Awards Felicity House the 2025 Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Leader in Adult Autism Award
January 7, 2026, Rockville, MD — The Autism Society of America is pleased to announce Felicity House was named as the 2025 recipient of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Leader in Adult Autism Award. This distinguished honor recognizes organizations and leaders who champion the autonomy of...
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When Systems Don’t Fit: Navigating Lifespan Transitions for People with Profound Autism
Every year, in every state, hundreds more individuals with Profound Autism age out of educational services and enter the adult services system. This process is described by many as “falling off a cliff.” Families despair of finding services that will allow their adult child to maintain their...
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Supporting Neurodivergent Children in the Transition from Pediatric to Adult Healthcare
Families of neurodivergent children, such as those with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and learning differences, often find themselves having to fiercely advocate for every service they need across medical, behavioral health and...
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A Therapist’s Guide to Teaching Autistic Adults Self-Directed Living Skills
Supporting autistic adults in creating self-directed lives, guided by their own preferences, goals, and values—is one of the most meaningful roles a therapist can play. Whether you are a behavior specialist, psychotherapist, social worker, counselor, or life skills coach, fostering autonomy...
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“Just Let Me Try”: Autistic Self-Advocates Redefine Independence
For decades, conversations about autism and adulthood have been centered on building independence through goals, interventions, and structured curricula (Bouck & Joshi, 2015). Yet when autistic self-advocates describe independence, they do not speak in terms of compliance, readiness checklists,...
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Hiring Autistic College Graduates in STEM: A Best-Practices Model
Businesses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) can better employ autistic students. 85% of autistic college students after having graduated for 5 years are currently underemployed or unemployed in the industry (Advanced Autism Services, 2025). A model of best practices for...
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Families, Systems, and Shared Solutions: Rebuilding Trust in Disability Services – Lessons from the OPWDD–Georgetown Partnership
I didn’t start as a systems guy. I started as a dad in denial, with no roadmap, no acronyms, and no patience for policy. Then our family hit rough water. Puberty flipped the table, literally. Supports vanished just when we needed them most. Person-centered practice became paper-centered...
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Drugs, Causes, Treatments, Cures: Powerful Words That Should Be Administered Cautiously
Today in the United States, the government has renewed its focus on autism, and on the increasing number of individuals diagnosed with it. Many professionals who have devoted their lives to autism science and advocacy rightly have deep concerns about false promises and misleading analyses recently...
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From Crisis Response to Proactive Planning: Building Sustainable Housing for Autistic Adults
Sarah Pope, CEO of SOS Care, spent years watching families in South Carolina face an impossible choice: Keep their autistic adult children at home indefinitely or place them in the next available group home regardless of fit. As a parent, she knew this system was failing everyone. So, she acted by...
