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Beyond High School: Building a Meaningful L.I.F.E.
Several years ago, at an Advisory Board meeting for what is now the Abilis Autism Program, a parent said, “You know, some of our kids are going to be ready to leave high school in a few years. You need to start thinking now about how our agency will be best able to meet their needs.” And so we...
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The Funny End of the Spectrum – a Mom’s View – Obsession
Our 6-year old son, Jack, has made the leap from memorizing people’s birthdays to collecting information about the cars people drive. Now, instead of asking when someone’s birthday is, he points his finger in their face and barks “What kind of car do you drive?” His query resembles the...
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Top 10 Areas of Support for Young Adults with Learning Differences as They Transition to College
As the number of people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders including Asperger’s syndrome, ADD, and other learning differences explodes to nearly one in 100, it is important to address the type of support these individuals will need as they transition to college. Most college age adults...
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Autism Spectrum News Interview with Linda Walder, Esq, Founder and Executive Director of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation
With the prevalence of autism on the rise, the number of adults living with autism is also increasing. The pace of the development of programs and services has not kept up with the growing needs of adults with autism spectrum disorders to enable them to participate in and contribute to community...
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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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New Source of Funding for Post-Secondary Education
Higher Education and Opportunities Act Allows New Opportunities for Individuals with ASD For the neurotypical population preparing for post-secondary education, a significant rite of passage is filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and indicating the colleges...
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Couplehood and Asperger Syndrome – Improving Important Relationships
As the concept of Asperger Syndrome becomes more visible in our society, more and more undiagnosed adults and their loved ones are seeing popularized views of the condition reflected in television and movie characters and in writings about adulthood proliferating on the internet. What is the...
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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...
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The Impact of Autism on Adult Residential and Day Services
As a provider of services to adults with special needs we are serving an increasing number of clients on the Spectrum. This is due to three factors: (1) a higher rate of spectrum diagnosis in young adults; (2) a lower rate of traditional Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities (MR/DD)...
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New Treatments on the Horizon for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Much of the treatment for autism spectrum disorders has focused exclusively on early intervention and childhood treatment programs. These programs are quite helpful for individuals and families as they move through the educational system and provide children with autism spectrum disorders...
