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NY State Governor Hochul’s Proposed Budget Prioritizes Independence for People With Developmental Disabilities
Governor Hochul has released her Fiscal Year 2025 Budget proposal which is the first step in the New York State Budget process. The Governor and the Legislature will begin negotiations and reach an agreement on a final enacted New York State Budget. The final Budget deadline outlined in the New...
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Harnessing the Power of Nature: Outdoor Sensory Activities for Autistic Children
Holistic health improves when children spend time playing outdoors (Dankiw et al., 2020; Gill, 2015; McQuay et al., 2020; McCormick, 2017). Children with autism spectrum disorder demonstrate increased world connections with outdoor sensory activities, as the natural environment affords more...
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Supporting Young Adults: Transitioning to Post-Secondary Educational Opportunities
This fall, I dropped my oldest child off for his junior year of college. For our family, this is always a time of excitement, but also one of trepidation. The transition from high school to higher education, from childhood to adulthood, is full of new and evolving challenges. Those challenges are...
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Leveraging Smart Technology to Enhance Independence for Autistic Individuals
Independent living for autistic individuals requires a complex set of tasks and increased responsibility for caregivers, who often support independence remotely. Considering how technology can complement this task is crucial to maximizing available resources and enhancing the lives of those...
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Living and Aging Independently on the Autism Spectrum: An Inside View
Having been diagnosed late in life at the age of 44, I lived for the better part of my life on the autism spectrum without myself or anyone else being aware of it. During the time in which I finally knew about this, I was already an older adult and, most recently, a senior citizen. Unlike so many...
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Helping Autistic Individuals Navigate Barriers to Adulthood
An adult on the spectrum can accomplish or achieve everything his/her/their cohort who is not on the spectrum has accomplished or achieved, and yet not be rewarded with that same level of independence and autonomy for his/her/their efforts (Cheak-Zamora, Tait & Coleman, 2022). Although young...
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Marriage Proposal Carries Consequences
Jayson Valles recalls the first time he saw Cecilia Primera. That was 12 years ago during AHRC New York City’s Sunday Trip program for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He knew immediately that Cecilia was different than other women. He introduced himself to her and...
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Preparing School-Age Students for Post-Secondary Education
Preparing school-age students with autism for the transition into post-secondary education is perhaps as challenging for teachers as it is daunting for parents. According to a National Autism Indicators Report, “Young adults with autism have a difficult time following high school for almost any...
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Assessing Readiness for Transition to College and College Support Services
High school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), without intellectual or language impairment (ASD-WoILI), are attending college at rates higher than previously reported, but research indicates they may not be receiving the services they need (Kuder & Accardo, 2017). While federal and...
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Enabling Smart Technologies to Improve Individuals’ Lives
The COVID-19 pandemic moved us into a digital space and opened up the world of smart technologies. It challenged us to ask ourselves, “How can we integrate advances in technology into the lives of our individuals to promote independence, lessen the dependency on staff, and move away from a prompt...
