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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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The Dilemma of Aging Parents with Adults with Autism Still Living at Home
In a summary of key findings from the 2015 National Autism Indicators Report, we parents now have confirmation: “Young adults with autism had the lowest rate of independent living (19%) compared to their peers with other disabilities.”1 The 2015 State of the State in Developmental Disability...
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Family and Professional Partnerships Optimize Successful Transitions to Adulthood
The Centers for Disease Control noted that from 1994 to 2005, the number of children ages 6–21 years receiving services for autism increased from 22,664 to 193,637 nationally. This explosive increase in the number of children identified with an autism spectrum disorder sounds a warning for the...
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Defining Care for High-Functioning Adults with Autism
A lost art in modern conversation (not surprisingly, as we are quite possibly the busiest society in world history) is the definition of one’s terms. To be sure, this requires time and patience; but by clarifying all foundational points, we make the rest of the conversation much easier....
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Adults and Autism: Insights and Changes from a Clinical Perspective
It has been six years since I first wrote on the topic of evidence-based behavioral health treatment for adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I would like to revisit this subject to address progress in the field. Without substantive data to help guide behavioral and therapeutic...
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College Supports for Students with ASD: Now and Looking Forward
The necessity of a college education as an entrant to anything but a minimum wage job is well documented (Farrington, R. 2014). With the increasing number of students entering college with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Pinder-Amaker, S. 2014), professionals have begun to turn their attention to the...
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The Importance of Community Social Participation for Adults with ASD
Over the past ten years, researchers have been investigating the quality of life and overall functioning of adults with ASD (Orsmond, G.I., et al., 2013; Billstedt, E., et al., 2011; Robertson, S.M., 2010; Renty, J.O. & Roeyers, H., 2006). A consistent finding across these studies is the...
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How Can College Professors Create an Inclusive Classroom? Minor Accommodations to Support Students with Autism
As academic coordinator at the College Internship Program for the past 7 years, my main focus has been to help students with learning differences and Autism Spectrum Disorders build social and Executive Function skills in an academic environment. In addition to directly instructing the students, I...
