Perkins School for the Blind - New Transition Program

Posts Tagged ‘Summer 2021 Issue’

Autistics and Employment: Far Too Many Rivers to Cross

For as long as I have known about autism, I have heard reports that autistics have the highest unemployment rate among all disability groups - or, for that matter, just about any demographic. Even at the time of my own diagnosis (late 2000), by which such milder variants as Asperger Syndrome had...

Set Up for Success: Vista Life Innovations’ Three-Step Employment Model

Employment can be a source of anxiety for both individuals with disabilities and their families. The rate of unemployment or underemployment for those with autism in the U.S. is particularly high compared to those with other disabilities or the general population (Ohl et al., 2017). Despite the...

The Connection Between Transportation Access and Future Employment

I have given countless driving seminars, and in all of them I talk about the importance of discussing the impact of driving and transportation on employment. It is my belief that potential employment opportunities must always be discussed with the individual’s transportation options in mind....

A Clinician’s Perspective on Robot-Assisted Instruction for Autistic Children

I’ve been licensed in California as a Marriage and Family Therapist for over 18 years and my career passion and good fortune has allowed me to treat children with developmental disorders, including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), as well as high functioning adults. Therapy is a profound...

The “Why” of Disability Unemployment

Understanding the differential in the employment rates for people with disabilities and those without, including the length of time it has remained unchanged, requires an introspection into all the current practices and models. It also begs the question of “why” this has remained for so long...

Conducting a Job Search: Quick Tips to Guide Your Journey

Let us begin with facts: job searching is not always easy - for anyone. Most people, whether they are autistic or not, will experience several potential hurdles when finding the right job for them. Although there are additional challenges that are unique to autistic individuals, the initial steps...

Making a Case for the IEP Diploma When It Comes to Employment

I was the girl who was afraid of her own shadow. I was afraid of a lot of things. I was afraid about what people might think. People always doubted me. I was too nervous to speak in front of people. I would never go on stage. I was afraid to do anything. A school social worker once told my...

Early Screening Tool Leads to Earlier Diagnosis and Treatment for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Since it debuted in 2011, the Get SET Early program, which provides pediatricians and parents with a relatively simple process to screen for indicators of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children as young as age 1, has steadily grown in use and validation. Early screening and identification of...