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Using Summer Programming to Prepare for Post-Secondary Education
Each year 50,000 young adults on the autism spectrum turn 18 years of age (Roux et al., 2013). How can parents and educators ensure that these young people are ready for the transition to post-secondary life? A good number of these young people are academically ready and prepared for the...
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Incorporating Social Skills Beyond the Teaching Environment
When striving for independence with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), families, Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), and other professionals may immediately think of decreasing problem behavior such as screaming or off-task behaviors or increasing specific skills such as...
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Strategies for Increasing Social Networking and Job Readiness for Individuals with ASD Through Community Engagement
In the past, opportunities for higher education and exciting career paths within a supportive and safe environment were few and far between for individuals with ASD. These challenges to independence and barriers to employment are now shrinking. We are now able to better equip and support...
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Breaking Down the Barriers of Social Communication for Young Adults
The transition from adolescence to adulthood is an important and transitory juncture in the lives of modern young individuals. This exciting and oftentimes anxiety-inducing time brings with it a host of challenges: increased independence, heightened self-awareness, the taking on of more personal...
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The Development of Theatre Arts to Facilitate Social and Communication Skills for People with Autism Spectrum Disorder
There is an emerging though limited body of research demonstrating the effectiveness of theatre-related activities to facilitate social and communication skills, teach emotional recognition and expression, non-verbal behaviors and gestures, listening and conversation skills, eye contact, as well as...
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Communication Challenges in College Students with ASD
In addition to the typical challenges faced by young adults pursuing post-secondary education, those with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis face unique challenges related to deficits in social communication. These include deficits in social-emotional reciprocity, such as taking turns in a...
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Social Connections for Women with ASD in Transition: 5 Areas of Importance
Entering into adulthood for women with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves a shift in many life systems. When preparing for the change from formal schooling to adulthood, a transition plan and support services are often provided. This is a time when students explore what life will look like as...
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Transition to Adulthood: Many Difficult Yet Essential Challenges for Autistics
As a group, autistics are well-known for having difficulty with many kinds of changes in their lives. The transition to adulthood constitutes one of the most difficult and, at the same time, one of the most important that most people ever make. This transition usually presents challenges for...
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The Failure to Accurately Diagnose Girls with Asperger’s Syndrome
The work of Dr. William Mandy has explored the traditionally accepted gender ratio regarding the prevalence of Asperger’s Syndrome in and girls; most studies cite a higher ratio of boys as having Asperger’s Syndrome (AS). The research of Dr. Mandy and his associates show that girls with...
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Social and Emotional Learning: Transitioning to Adulthood
Social and emotional learning is a complex process in which children and adults acquire and utilize skills that are necessary to interact with oneself and others in a positive manner. Core competencies for individuals to learn include managing one’s emotions, setting and achieving positive life...
