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Adults and Autism: Insights and Changes from a Clinical Perspective
It has been six years since I first wrote on the topic of evidence-based behavioral health treatment for adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). I would like to revisit this subject to address progress in the field. Without substantive data to help guide behavioral and therapeutic...
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College Supports for Students with ASD: Now and Looking Forward
The necessity of a college education as an entrant to anything but a minimum wage job is well documented (Farrington, R. 2014). With the increasing number of students entering college with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Pinder-Amaker, S. 2014), professionals have begun to turn their attention to the...
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The Importance of Community Social Participation for Adults with ASD
Over the past ten years, researchers have been investigating the quality of life and overall functioning of adults with ASD (Orsmond, G.I., et al., 2013; Billstedt, E., et al., 2011; Robertson, S.M., 2010; Renty, J.O. & Roeyers, H., 2006). A consistent finding across these studies is the...
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Community Autism Socials at Yale (Project CASY): Developing Group Intervention for Adults Living with Autism
Recommending a “social skills” group is a very common intervention seen in treatment plans of both children and adults living with autism. Despite their popularity, the evidence supporting the effectiveness of social skills groups in children is limited and the situation is more serious in...
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Adults on the Autism Spectrum: An Unidentified and Forgotten Population
Among all those on the autism spectrum, adults get the least media attention and receive the fewest services, supports, and resources of any kind. This is ironic when one considers that adulthood constitutes most of the human lifespan, so that the vast majority of individuals with autism clearly...
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8 Things I Wish I Knew Before My Autism Diagnosis at 22
At the age of twenty-two, I was diagnosed with high-functioning autism, commonly known as “Asperger’s Syndrome.” On the autism spectrum, high-functioning individuals with autism generally don’t have developmental delays that are common in other parts of the spectrum. High-functioning autism...
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Next Stop, Adulthood: A Framework for Effective Transition Planning for Students with Severe Disabilities
It is imperative for school professionals such as special education teachers, general education teachers, guidance counselors, and other school personnel to be knowledgeable of the secondary-transition planning process for students with severe disabilities to better meet the needs of their students...
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Screening for Autism in an Adult Psychiatric Facility
Three years ago, the CEO of Oglethorpe, Inc., John Picciano, LCSW, sat snoozing in the back of the room while listening to a presentation at a National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Conference called, “Autism, Asperger’s and the Culture of Neurodiversity.” Somewhere in the middle of...
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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 working.” The...
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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...
