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Transitioning to Work
When students with disabilities turn 21, or receive a high school diploma, their entitlement to special education services ends, and the school bus stops coming to their corner. Before the school bus stops, the school and the adult program need to collaborate and plan for transitioning to work...
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Supporting Students with Autism Through Evidence-Based Employment Intervention
Unemployment rates for people with disabilities currently are hovering around 80%, with even higher rates for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2017). Over the past several decades, employment outcomes for students with autism have remained consistently poor...
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Post-Secondary Employment for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
The transition to adulthood represents a particularly vulnerable time for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as the entitlements of the children’s service system end and families encounter fragmented systems of care (Friedman, Warfield, & Parish, 2013). Post-secondary transition can...
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27% of Adults with Autism Who Use State Disability Services Have No Work or Other Activities – 2017 National Autism Indicators Report
A quarter of adults with autism who use state developmental disability services are not working or participating in other structured activities during the day, with only 14 percent holding a paying job in the community, according to the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. Since 2015, the Institute has...
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Responding to the Changing Needs of Job Seeking Adults and Adolescents with Autism
The process of finding, applying for and obtaining employment is one that is constantly evolving. These changes often present new challenges for adolescents and adults with autism and related disabilities. For providers and clinicians, this means it is more important than ever to evaluate the...
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Building Employability Skills in Persons with ASD through Volunteerism
Much attention is paid to the educational needs of children with autism. Most of the media exposure on autism emphasizes the power of early intervention and the need for specialized instruction at school. While the media, parents and autism organizations have increased awareness, it remains...
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Kindling Studios: Igniting Passion. Actualizing Potential.
Picture an ember – a small glowing spark that with proper care and attention will grow into a warm, radiating fire. Now picture your spark – what gets you up in the morning, what motivates you to keep going, and how do you nurture that spark? For many of us that spark is our work, and it...
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Extraordinary Ventures Creates Extraordinary Opportunities
Government is an important employer in our economy, but by far the largest source of jobs is the private sector made up of hundreds of thousands of small, medium and large businesses. But neither government nor private enterprise has done a very good job incorporating the skills and talents of...
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Employment Boot Camp Prepares Job Seekers with ASD
Employment is a socially normative activity that is a key factor in adult life and successful community inclusion (Fussell & Furstenberg, 2005). Paid employment contributes greatly to quality of life outcomes including economic and social wellbeing, enhanced self-esteem, positive health...
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Employment Opportunities for People with disABILITIES
Sitting in the parking lot of Blue Star Recyclers, I watched as employees arrived by bus and on foot. They ran and skipped into work; each of them 10 – 15 minutes early for their shift. The words of Leigh Schilling, Recycling Technician echoed in my head: “I have the honor of...
