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Employment Opportunities for People with disABILITIES
Sitting in the parking lot of Blue Star Recyclers, I watched as employees arrived by bus and on foot. They ran and skipped into work; each of them 10 – 15 minutes early for their shift. The words of Leigh Schilling, Recycling Technician echoed in my head: “I have the honor of...
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The Importance of Community Involvement in Preventing a Wandering Incident
Approximately 48% of children diagnosed with autism have been reported to elope at some point in their lives, frequently from places that are considered the safest environments for them to be in, such as homes and schools. People who elope place themselves in harm’s way and increase their risk of...
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Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behavior for Adults with ASDs
As individuals with autism age out of the educational system, families are faced with a number of challenges. Maladaptive behavior, in particular, can be a significant stressor for families of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). While estimates of the prevalence of problem behavior vary...
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Building Comprehensive, ABA-Informed Services in an Adult Residential Setting
Throughout the United States, services for school-aged children with Autism have been bolstered by IDEA (the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act). Of the services IDEA has made available, those informed by the science of applied behavior analysis (ABA) are gaining broad recognition as the...
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The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Announces Groundbreaking Initiatives at Yale School of Medicine and University of Miami CARD
The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation (DJFF), the nation’s first not-for-profit organization to focus exclusively on adults living with autism, has launched two groundbreaking initiatives designed to enrich the lives of autistic individuals throughout their lifespan. With endowment gifts of...
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Walking a Tightrope of Conflicting Expectations
In my two professional roles—as an adjunct professor of English composition at a local community college and as a vocational trainer and curriculum developer for adults with autism—I encounter adults at all levels of job readiness. Many of the students in my English composition classes are...
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Affordable Housing Advocacy: An Approach to Success
The question that keeps ASD parents awake at night: “Where will he/she live when I am no longer able to provide a home?” Questions and emotions swirl around whenever housing is the topic of any discussion: “It’s scary.” “It’s complicated.” “There are so many factors to...
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The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation’s Latest Signature Programs Focus on Supporting by Educating Adults Living with Autism
The Daniel Jordan Fiddle (DJF) Foundation has entered its second decade of developing, advocating for and funding unique and groundbreaking initiatives that benefit the lives of adults living with autism spectrum. Exciting new collaborations with the nation’s leading advocacy organizations and...
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Health Care Directives: A Safeguard and a Support
It is essential for all adults to execute advance planning documents, especially those adults on the autism spectrum who have the capacity to do so. Chief among these estate planning documents is the health care directive. Often, parents make all health care decisions for their child for the first...
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The Support of Adolescents and Adults with Autism in the Community – How to Establish Community and Life Skills That Will Endure
The United States is on the verge of a crisis as more than 800,000 children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) enter adulthood. Consequently, there are vastly larger numbers of adolescents and adults who need interventions and services than ever before. Unfortunately, the need...
