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When College is Not an Option
College is generally considered the best path to a successful career, but the classes and structure of college can present a daunting challenge to individuals on the spectrum. The description of a “good job” might include factors of salary, stability, and the ability to grow; such jobs are not...
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An Employer’s Perspective on the Benefits of Training People with Autism
As part of its clinical mission, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division (NYP/WD) cares for patients so they are prepared to return to their home communities to lead productive lives. To successfully achieve this, patients are given the necessary tools to be able to work and live. In...
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Becoming an Autism Employment Entrepreneur
Last fall, after a 30-year career in corporate marketing, I joined the ranks of a handful of other parents and social service agencies in a new movement referred to as autism employment entrepreneurship. I founded Yes She Can Inc. as a nonprofit dedicated to developing job skills and employment...
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Special Education and College Readiness
Specialized college programs that provide support for students with learning disabilities, non-verbal learning disabilities, and Autism Spectrum Disorders are continuing to grow throughout the country. Although there is an increase in the number of programs that will assist students in receiving...
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An Affordable, High-Quality University Option for Students on the Spectrum
The City University of New York (CUNY), a stalwart champion for equal access to higher education, formed Project REACH (Resources and Education on Autism as CUNY’s Hallmark) in December of 2011. The Project’s goals include educating the student body, staff and faculty about students with autism...
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Five Steps to Help Young Adults Transition to Independence
There are many services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, but Jewish Child Care Association’s Compass Project is unique because we specifically target the period when an adolescent/young adult transitions from high school to the next step. While school districts support families and...
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Financing Post-Secondary Education and Training
According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), “the average total cost of attendance in 2011-12 for first-time, full-time students living on campus and paying in-state tuition was $21,000 at public 4-year institutions, $41,420 at private nonprofit 4-year institutions, and...
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The Alien World of Work for Adults with Autism
After college, one is confronted with the confounding world of job searching. Unlike anything one has experienced before, a job search is filled with resumes, cover letters, and interviews, salary negotiations, networking, and writing that looks nothing like the work just finished to earn a degree....
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Doctoral Study Shows Parents are Concerned for Their Adult Child’s Future
The process of transitioning to adulthood is always difficult for parents; more so when their children have special needs. For parents of young adults with ASD the challenges are manifold, including but not limited to financial problems, social difficulties and long term care and planning. Long...
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A Place of Their Own: Residential Services for Soon-to-Be Adults with Autism
An unprecedented number of families will soon watch their children with autism leave school and flood the adult disability system. Up to a half million children with autism will reach adulthood in the next decade, according to estimates.1, 2 These children, the first wave of the so-called...
