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Using Telehealth to Create a Virtual Community for Adults with Autism
During March 2020, many community-based programs for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) needed to make the difficult decision to suspend in-person services for the safety of all stakeholders. The unexpected interruption in daily operations led to an immediate concern for the overall quality...
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Displaying Courage, AHRC NYC Staff Support People with I/DD in Group Homes and Remotely with Technology
Months into our response to the COVID-19 epidemic, we have suffered heartbreaking losses and struggled through many challenges. Through it all, our staff’s extraordinary devotion, caring and tireless efforts to support people with disabilities, their families, and each other, has been...
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Unforeseen Advantages of Virtual Learning: Improved Attendance, Participation and More
Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, nonverbal communication, and difficulty making and maintaining relationships are some of the barriers individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face in their daily lives (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In addition, there are high prevalence...
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Meeting the Unique Needs of Women on the Autism Spectrum
The research on adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) suggests that outcomes for adult women with ASD are especially poor relative to those of men (Taylor, Henninger, & Mailick, 2015). These findings stand in sharp contrast to research reports that find women and men with primary ASD are...
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Navigating Neurodiverse Relationships: Disclosure and Self-Advocacy
If you are an adult who has had a longstanding diagnosis of ASD or a newly diagnosed individual, then you probably grapple with these ongoing decisions: If and when to disclose your diagnosis to others The pros versus the cons of disclosure How to go about sharing this information with...
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How Can We Make Spirituality a Permanent Part of Our Adult Son’s Life with Autism?
My son Daniel is a 31-year-old young man with autism. Like many families with an autistic member, our lives have - ahem - been interesting, distinctive, contained a certain element of surprise and provided a trail of unanticipated sweetness. I’ll take just one category of our life...
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Creating Community for Adults with Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities
Navigating the road to adulthood is rocky for many people. But for young adults on the autism spectrum, the challenge is particularly tough, particularly for creating a community for adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Social isolation can pose a significant challenge for these...
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Social Activities and Communities for Individuals with Autism: Meeting a Basic Human Need
Social activities, as engagement with a community to which one belongs, are an essential part of life for most people. Unfortunately, for autistics, there are often barriers that prevent them from participating in such. Before I address these issues, however, I need to emphasize that the commonly...
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Community Engagement Through Integrated Community Living Options for Adults with Autism
With the increasing prevalence of autism documented in children over the past two decades, there is growing alarm about what will be needed for these children as they grow into adulthood (Anderson & Butt, 2018). Indeed, there are adults living with autism right now with unmet needs due to...
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Housing for Adults with Autism: A Growing Crisis
This article will discuss the need for appropriate housing for adults with Autism. New and emerging programs will be explored. In full disclosure, this writer is the president and founder of Indie Living, Inc., a housing program currently in the early stages of development in New York. Over the...
