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Creating Community for Adults with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities
Navigating the road to adulthood is rocky for many people. But for young adults on the autism spectrum, the challenge is particularly tough, particularly for creating a community for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Social isolation can pose a significant challenge for these...
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Community Engagement Through Integrated Community Living Options for Adults with Autism
With the increasing prevalence of autism documented in children over the past two decades, there is growing alarm about what will be needed for these children as they grow into adulthood (Anderson & Butt, 2018). Indeed, there are adults living with autism right now with unmet needs due to...
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Taking a Multi-Cultural Approach to Promoting Autism Awareness
For decades caregivers, practitioners, educators, advocates, and researchers, to name a few, have exhausted resources in promoting autism awareness in their communities (locally, nationally, and globally). According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) (2019), the number of individuals diagnosed...
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A Community of Caring Agencies Unites to Support Families in Camden County, NJ
First Children Services and the Rowan Integrated Special Needs (RISN) Center are organizations that specialize in providing clinical services to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in New Jersey. Many of the youth who these agencies serve are eligible for or already...
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Supportive and Community Housing – Find Your Forever Home
It’s that time of the year where parents are shipping their kids off to school. From toddlers who have finally reached school age to young adults taking that next step into adulthood, this season is filled with many new adventures. Many young adults will be leaving home this fall for college and...
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Social Activities and Communities for Individuals with Autism: Meeting a Basic Human Need
Social activities, as engagement with a community to which one belongs, are an essential part of life for most people. Unfortunately, for autistics, there are often barriers that prevent them from participating in such. Before I address these issues, however, I need to emphasize that the commonly...
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How to Build a Satisfying Recreation Program for Adults with Disabilities
Andrew Auerbach, 63, has been going on weekend recreation trips with Chapel Haven Schleifer Center in New Haven, CT, since he arrived at the recreation program for adults with disabilities in 1977. Andy, who grew up on the Upper West Side of NYC, holds two part-time jobs during the week, so the...
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Incorporating Social Skills Beyond the Teaching Environment
When striving for independence with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), families, Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), and other professionals may immediately think of decreasing problem behavior such as screaming or off-task behaviors or increasing specific skills such as...
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Strengthening Community Engagement with Vocational Training and Employment for Young Adults with Autism
We want our students with autism to be able to answer the question, “What are you going to be when you grow up?” Vocational training and employment provides a sense of belonging, improved quality of life, community inclusion, and a paycheck. Historically, however, employment rates for adults...
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Dental Care and Autism: What You Should Know
Going to the dentist can be nerve-wracking for anyone. However, for a child with autism, dental care can be a much more difficult experience. An overload of sensory elements can make going to the dentist overwhelming and scary. Luckily, choosing the right dentist, knowing what to expect, and...
