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Navigating the School-to-College Transition: A Guide for Families of Autistic Students
If you have an autistic child looking to progress into further education (FE) in the UK, chances are that you have felt abandoned by both their school and the prospective college. Whilst the transition from primary to secondary school may have seemed more informed and managed by the school, the...
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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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Building Futures: Transition Planning and Success for Autistic Youth at StarUnite Café
While many children on the autism spectrum receive individualized education planning and interventions to support their successful achievement throughout their kindergarten, elementary and high school years, it is equally important to plan for success throughout adulthood. Some adults with autism...
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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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From Dissertation to Destination: Navigating the Post-PhD Transition to Employment
Have you had a dream where you wake up and realize you’ve overslept and are missing your exam? Where you scramble to leave home, sprint to school, and futilely run down an empty corridor to an exam that’s done? That’s how I feel right now, but I’m not dreaming and, though the situation...
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From Children’s Program to Adult Residential Care: Navigating Systems and the Hurdles of Transition
The transition from pediatric services to adult residential care for those on the autism spectrum is a complicated process. Educational systems, healthcare providers, social service agencies, and housing authorities all have a hand in this transition. However, the significant shift is from a system...
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When School Ends: The Hidden Crisis Facing Adults with Profound Autism
For nearly two decades, our mornings have been marked by the familiar sound of a school bus pulling up in front of our home. The doors hiss open, followed by a greeting from the bus driver as they pull Philip’s wheelchair onto the platform. The bus would rumble away, leaving behind a silence that...
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Beyond Fun: How Summer Programs Build Executive Function, Social Confidence, and Independence
Summertime has so much potential. With more flexible schedules and a break from traditional classes, your student can focus on what matters most in their season of development. Autistic elementary age children and middle schoolers may benefit from additional focus on building or practicing social...
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Fostering Safety and Stability for Autistic Adults During the Transition from College to Career
For many young adults, the shift from college to career is a time of excitement and possibility. But for autistic adults, it can also bring a unique set of challenges, especially when systems of support that existed in educational settings begin to fall away. Without intentional planning,...
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The Day I Learned That Stepping Away Isn’t Giving Up – It’s How Autistic Brains Navigate Change
Whenever I have had a big change coming, I tell myself "I can handle this." I have always been good at problem-solving, at figuring things out methodically. Moving away from home for the first time to live at a program for young adults with autism? No problem – I was prepared to learn everything...
