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Igniting Passion. Actualizing Potential.
Picture an ember – a small glowing spark that with proper care and attention will grow into a warm, radiating fire. Now picture your spark – what gets you up in the morning, what motivates you to keep going, and how do you nurture that spark? For many of us that spark is our work, and it is...
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Empowering Young Women with ASD to be Successful in the Workplace
Like their neurotypical peers, young women with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) truly desire to be independent. To seek her potential and independence, most women with autism need to work for money, even if it is for 15 hours a week. Women transitioning from school to adulthood need to stretch,...
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Building Employability Skills in Persons with ASD through Volunteerism
Much attention is paid to the educational needs of children with autism. Most of the media exposure on autism emphasizes the power of early intervention and the need for specialized instruction at school. While the media, parents and autism organizations have increased awareness, it remains...
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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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Different, Not Worse
What would you say are qualities that make someone a good friend? What are the qualities that make someone a great date? What qualities should a professional look for in a new colleague? When I draw up a list of the qualities my peers and I look for in others, here are some answers: a sense of...
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Becoming the Techie of Tomorrow: Students with ASD Learn Technology
There’s a lot of talk about why teaching kids technology, in particular programming, in today’s educational landscape is good for students. Nearly every other week there seems to be some major news announcement around STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), STEAM (science, technology,...
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Autism and Technology: A Great Benefit and a Double-Edged Sword
Individuals with autism have long had great affinity for and been involved with technology, so it is only fitting that modern technology is becoming of greater value and significance to the autism community. I am able to appreciate this both as an adult on the autism spectrum and as a long-time...
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Direct Access Application Revolutionizes Service Delivery for People with Disabilities
You need a job. You need a home that provides support. You want to be involved in your community. You want all of these things yet the system that is in place before you is arduous to navigate and often leaves you feeling discouraged. TOUCH (Therapeutic Outreach Uniting Community Health) was...
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Awake Challenged, Punctually Challenged, and Underground Thursday Challenged
One of the biggest hurdles that adolescents and young adults on the ASD or LD Spectrum face is having a reversed sleep schedule where they stay awake at night (often playing video games or surfing the internet) and sleeping during the day. This is especially so if students are living independently...
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Aspies in the City: Building a More Inclusive Community, One Person at a Time
Since I was very young, I had a fascination with people who had Autism. Although in some ways they seemed different than me, in others there were a lot of similarities. Later as an adult, it was suggested that I might have a lot in common with people who have Asperger’s Syndrome. So, one...
