In the fall of 2006, Job Path launched Life-Coaching for Young Adults with High-Functioning Autism. The program finds innovative ways to help individuals with high-functioning autism, such as Asperger’s Syndrome, reach their potential through college attendance, work, volunteer positions and meaningful community activities. The Life-Coaching team offers young adults intensive life planning and assistance to define their goals and develop plans of action. Support is based on the specific needs of each individual.
We were inundated with prospective candidates for the project and had the difficult task of initially selecting ten young people. Now, more than two years into the project we are working with eighteen people – a diverse, accomplished group whose efforts to find their way in the world are complicated by autism. They have strong cognitive abilities, but haven’t found outlets for their talents.
The Life-Coaching process begins with an exploration and planning phase in which people consider their total life circumstances and goals, a process they are finding exciting and empowering. The individuals have pretty keen insights into their own lives.
But the best way to understand how the project works is to look at the progress being made by individual members of the group.
On the Winning Team
Anthony, a 23-year-old who lives in Chinatown in New York City with his mother, enjoys school and sports equally. As a college student at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, Anthony dives into his school work, whether writing an essay on the Giants’ celebratory parade in Manhattan for English class, or learning how to read text with a critical eye in “Academic and Critical Reading.”
While Anthony can talk about his dreams and goals, he sometimes needs help from the Life-Coaching team to make sure he achieves them. Anthony’s support workers help him develop social skills both in and out of the classroom, while also making sure that he writes his assignments down and has a full understanding of his homework and class requirements.
On top of his academic achievements, Anthony is a skilled floor hockey player who plays center position for his Special Olympics team. Currently, Anthony has a paid clerical internship, funded through OMRDD, at AHRC’s day habilitation program where he does office work two mornings a week. Anthony also swims at the local YMCA and, in his limited free time, is a singer in the Peace of Heart choir.
Next Steps
In the spring of 2006, Wendela graduated from a special needs high school. The plan was for her to attend a structured residential pre-vocational/college program in Long Island the summer after graduation. Wendela began the program, but after several months, staff recommended that she leave because she was overwhelmed at being away from home and the social demands of school. Wendela retreated into her room at home and rarely left the house.
In the fall of 2006, Wendela began working with a Job Path Life Coach who helped her establish OMRDD eligibility. The Life Coach worked slowly and carefully with Wendela, who was initially reluctant to engage in any activities, to help her figure out her next steps. They visited a number of community colleges, looking at class offerings and requirements. They talked about finding a volunteer job that would help get Wendela out of the house. Within six months, she was volunteering for a small theatre arts organization, first going with the Life Coach and eventually going by herself. In the fall of 2007, Wendela enrolled in Empire State College, taking one course without credit. By spring she was taking a course for credit, and now she is taking two courses a semester working toward her associate’s degree. Wendela decided she did not want mentors accompanying her to class but needed their support to encourage her to work through assignments.
Wendela now works two days a week at Job Path – paid for through an OMRDD funded internship – learning a range of clerical and data entry skills and developing social skills in the process. At each step, her Life Coaches have gently encouraged her to take the next step.
Meet Jon
Jon is a recent high school graduate and passionate collector of miniature fantasy figures. He is also a savvy seller on eBay, where he auctions items from his collection to make room for new additions. Consistent with his Asperger’s diagnosis, Jon had a narrow interest in pursuing these fantasy figures. Working with him required taking into account this preoccupation. We helped Jon look for ways to leverage his hobby into a paid position while trying to make more meaningful social and community connections. The Life-Coaching team worked with Jon, contacting gaming stores in New York about possible employment opportunities. Jon landed a job handling all aspects of eBay sales for one of New York’s top gaming stores – from listing items to communicating with buyers to shipping merchandise. Jon worked with his coach, who helped him understand the social dynamics of the workplace, while assisting him with the technical side of the job. Jon has become a master with a tape gun! Jon worked at the store part-time for two years until recently when the store closed during the economic downturn. Currently, a Job Path Employment Specialist is following up on some promising leads at comic book stores that have shown an interest in hiring Jon for inventory and sales. Jon has also been exploring Goth culture while working on social skills and moving out into the community with the help of a Life Coach familiar with the world of Goth.
Finding His Place
“It honestly feels weird to finally be on a path of MY choosing,” says Evan, a Life-Coaching participant. After struggling for years to find a place where he could further his education in his chosen field of graphic design, Evan has found the perfect environment at the New York City College of Technology in Brooklyn.
Job Path works with the faculty at the Advertising Design and Graphic Arts Department to ensure that Evan receives the support required for his success. This assistance has included finding internship opportunities for Evan, extra coaching and guidance in choosing courses and software. A Life-Coaching mentor attends classes with Evan and helps him navigate different aspects of college life. Evan says of the experience, “I think this is cool. As a differently-abled student, it is amazing to be accepted and valued.”
Evan’s mother Harriet says, “Job Path’s Life-Coaching program has been transformative for Evan. Evan has a career goal, a stronger identity of himself as an artist and a growing sense of confidence and self-satisfaction.” During rare down time, Evan and his mentors visit galleries and museums.
The driving mission in Evan’s life is to develop his already prodigious art skills. Job Path linked him up with Pure Vision Arts studio in Manhattan, where Evan has had the opportunity to work in a variety of media and to showcase his work in their gallery. He also takes brush classes in the Japanese style of Sumi art, to which he is particularly drawn. In summing up his current life, Evan explains, “For the first time, I’m with people who just get it. Job Path has turned me into an artistic creation.”
We anticipate the Life Coaching project will be able to sustain itself on government funding by the end of 2010. We expect to expand into a full-scale project with ongoing enrollment of at least 30 adults. As individuals gain independence, we will be able to reduce their level of support and counseling and add new people, creating the individualized supports that allow them to participate in community and educational activities. Currently, four of our eighteen participants have paid jobs, three are in internships and seven are attending college or other classes. We agree with the assessment of one of our participants who summed up his life over the last 24 months in Life-Coaching by declaring: “Outstanding!”
Fredda Rosen is Executive Director at Job Path, located in NYC. For more information, call (212) 944-0564, email info@jobpathnyc.org or visit www.jobpathnyc.org.
I am searching for a life coach for my 21 year old grandson. He is a high functioning young adult on the autism spectrum. He lives with his mother and stepfather in a very small community in North Texas. He has no social life and only a part time job at a grocery store that he really doesn’t like. He never received the help he needed with social skills or life training skills due to the community where he lived did not offer much for kids on the spectrum. Can you suggest anything in the North Texas area for these young adults?
Hi Ruth, I am a certified life and success coach out of Austin TX area that has Asperger’s myself as well as the parent of 21 year with Asperger’s. I specialize in helping young adults with Aspergers/High Functioning Autism to help them create clarity on what they want in life and then help them develop the skills needed to achieve it. Fee free to email at bbaumann@aspie-r.com if you would like to visit about how I might be able to help.
I have a 22 yr old son who has High Function Autism. You wouldn’t know it to look at him. He has a full time job at BWI airport and drives himself. I am looking for someone who would be willing to work with him and help to recognize things that needs to be fixed and do it without having to remind him all the time..
Looking for a life coach for my son
Thanks
Sonia
I am looking for a life coach for my 25-year-old son. He is high functioning and has a part time job. He is an awesome person and would very much like to have close friends, maybe a girlfriend, go to college and live on his own. I’m a bit overwhelmed. Any recommendations would be appreciated. We live in San Antonio Tx.
Hi I have a 28 year son with high function autism . We live in New Baltimore Michigan & very interested in a life coach or program for my son. Can u help us
I am searching for a life coach for my 21 year-old, very high functioning daughter. She lives nearby in an apartment, but we worry about her isolation (often to avoid anxiety). She has a a large family as support, but we would like her to learn how to make meaningful friendships. She is currently struggling to complete her Associates Degree and could use assistance finding a career where she will be satisfied, successful and self-sustaining. Can you suggest a life coach or similar service near Harrisburg?
I am desperately looking for help for my 23 year old grandson who has Aspergers and no driver’s license, and sits home day after day with no positive life and needs help finding a job coach in Connecticut. He is depressed, angry and very unhappy. He is high functioning but needs help with finding a job , getting his drivers license and things of this nature . My daughter is a single mom of two boys and receives NO help from his father who has been diagnosed himself with paranoid schizophrenia and causes my grandsons overwhelming anxiety and problems. Can someone please let me know if anything is available in Wallingford, Connecticut for young adults who have fallen through the cracks and have no help . Thank you very much for any useful viable information.
Hi Bonnie, I specialize in working with young men with high functioning autism. I am not local to CT but if you are still looking for help I’d be happy to discuss. You can reach me at lukeformichella0@gmail.com.
I have a 27-year-old son with high functioning asked burgers/ADHD. He is still living at home with me he has a four-year-old daughter who is not married. He did go to a school for children on the spectrum. He has been struggling since college to get and keep a job. While in college she was drinking and got himself arrested he has a conviction on his record that we are trying to get expunged but it has made it difficult for him to get a job and a thrive. This is all made him very depressed. This incident happened when he was in college six years ago. We really believe he needs a life coach to help him. Do you have any suggestions on how we can help this very bright young man with a huge amount of potential?
I would like a life coach for my 21 year old daughter with autism in the El Paso TX area
I am looking for a life coach for my daughter. She is 33 with high functioning autism, but doesn’t drive. We live in a small town with limited opportunities to meet anyone for social encounters. Near Sugarland Texas.
I am still searching for a life coach for my now 22 year-old, very high functioning daughter. She has been living on her own in a nearby apartment, but we worry about her isolation. She has a a large family as support, but we would like her to learn how to make meaningful friendships. She has also just completed her Associates Degree and could use assistance finding a career where she will be satisfied, successful and self-sustaining. Can you suggest a life coach or similar service near Harrisburg, PA?
looking for a life coach for my 21 year old grandson who is high functioning young adult who was diagnosed on the spectrum at 20. willing to help coach throughj job, possible room mate situation
Hey Mike, I specialize in working with young men with HFA. If you are still searching for a coach, I’d be happy to hop on a call with you to discuss.
I need a life coach for my daughter. She is 25 yrs. old. We are in Southern Maryland.
I’m looking for a life/career coach for my high functioning daughter, aged Although we live in the US, she chose to go to university in the UK where she thrived eventually getting a masters in heritage studies from Cambridge Uni, no 1 or 2 global university. Then she spent two years in Spain teaching english and becoming fluent in Spanish. So she’s very smart and independent, but struggles with social interaction. Her field of interest is museum curating. Her undergrad degree was archeology and anthropology. She also has a deep interest in social issues and politics.
Hello, I’m looking for a life/career coach for my 21 YO son who is HFA. He currently has a FT job and drives himself. We live in Southern California.
Looking for a good Life Coach that can support our 31+ year old daughter who has very high functioning autism and wasn’t diagnosed until after college…she has lived with us and friends off & on since graduating college & dries, works full time ( this is a challenge for her). Hoping to give her the rest of the tools she needs to be independent in both her personal & professional life…..we as parents want to support her needs but not be enablers and we don’t know what to do at this point. She has worked successfully with a coach in the past. We have all recently relocated to Idaho Falls….Her previous coach dropped her when she chose to move to the Boise area from Western WA last fall with a friend 😠🤔
Searching for life coach in Bucks County, Pa for high-functioning 20 yr old daughter. Thanks
Hi Jeanne. I’m not local to PA but I coach young adults (neurotypical and on the ASD spectrum) to help them learn the life/social skills they need to become independent adults through online coaching and a few programs. Please contact me through email: michelle.arseneault@project-grownup.com or visit my website: https://www.youthstald.com I’d love to chat and see if I can help.
Looking for a coach for my 25 year old daughter with Autism, ADHD and social anxiety. She lives at home and works part-time. She doesn’t drive. She lived independently in college, but struggles quite a bit socially and has no real social connections. She recently completed her Masters in Public Health and is struggling with searching for a job and adulting. We live near Pittsburgh, PA and local or virtual options would work.
Looking for a coach for my 27 year old son with Autism, ADHD and social anxiety. He lives at home and doesn’t work. He has a collage degree. He drives. He lives in Philadelphia, PA . He needs assistance finding a career where he will be satisfied, successful and self-sustaining. Any recommendations would be appreciated.
I need a referral in Southern California to a Life Coach, Social Program, Work Program, Advocate for my 25 yr-old nephew with high functioning Autism.
He is extremely intelligent, articulate, humorous, and even holds world records in gaming. He is isolated, has no friends, no social activities and is virtually a shut-in. He lives with his alcoholic mother, my sister, who leaves their house in the morning and doesn’t return from the bar until late evening.
He has reached out to me for help. He wishes to find friends and socialize. He wishes to work and become a productive member of our society. He wishes to live independently, either with roommates or in a group home. He wishes to get a driver’s license. I told him I will help him achieve his goals, but I have no idea how to begin…?
I’ve watched a TV program with young adults with Down Syndrome filmed in the Los Angeles area. They host social events, encourage friendships, help them with finding jobs, roommates and live independently, etc. I want to find a similar program for high functioning adults with Autism in the Southern California area if possible.
I would appreciate any advice or help I can get to help my incredible nephew find happiness.
Hi, I’m looking for a life coach for my 25 year old nephew. He just graduated University and has found employment (part-time). He’s living with me since there are no employment opportunities where his parents live. He’s a wonderful human being – funny, articulate, loyal. He’s using food as his go to pleasure and soothing mechanism. He’s ballooning to a point where it is becoming dangerous for his health, but I can’t help him. He just hides the fries, sodas, and burgers. He wants to live on his own and have a girlfriend, but he needs to work through this and other social skills first. Someone male to coach him would be so wonderful.
Hello! I am interested in a Life Coach for my 21-year-old son, who has High Functioning Autism. He was diagnosed in 5th grade, but because he was able to do well in school (graduated with honors) and had good supports in place at home (mom is a teacher), he never presented as needing any major supports or interventions, which I fear has left us a bit behind the eight ball. That being said, college independence and difficulty with coursework brought his ship crashing down and left him ( and all of us) dealing with an overwhelming sense of failure. Depression, anxiety, and anger have been debilitating, and it is difficult for everyone to reassess where to begin picking up the pieces and what logical moves make sense as we move forward with life, education, careers, and relationships. He has one good friend since childhood and is so anxious that he cannot maintain a job. He has a therapist to talk to, but I don’t feel like they understand the autism component and often talk about feelings instead of practicing skills for how/ what to do differently next time (and why) to improve life experiences. I feel like a life coach would be a great sounding board and check-in, besides parents (who are often seen as the enemy). Working on coping skills, filtering thoughts and reactions, and executive functioning are two key areas we need to develop.
I need a life coach in New York City for my 20 year old ADHD/asperger’s son.