Residential Farms Provide Housing and Employment for Adults

• By: Rachel Silverman
• July 1st, 2013
• adult autism housing, employment opportunities, independent living, Medicaid funding, residential farm programs, service shortages, supportive housing programs, transition to adulthood
• 5890    2

The U.S. autism community is facing a “perfect storm.” More adults need services amid economic crisis and budget cuts. Today, about 300,000 adults are living with autism (Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism, n.d.). The total annual cost per adult with autism is roughly $71,000 in 2009...

A Place of Their Own: Residential Services for Soon-to-Be Adults with Autism

• By: Marina Sarris Interactive Autism Network, Kennedy Krieger Institute
• July 1st, 2013
• adult autism services, family caregiving, housing support, independent living, Medicaid waivers, planning, service shortages, transition to adulthood, waiting lists
• 2917    0

An unprecedented number of families will soon watch their children with autism leave school and flood the adult disability system. Up to a half million children with autism will reach adulthood in the next decade, according to estimates.1, 2 These children, the first wave of the so-called...

Doctoral Study Shows Parents are Concerned for Their Adult Child’s Future

• By: Veera Mookerjee, PhD, LMSW South Asian Council for Social Services
• July 1st, 2013
• community inclusion, financial barriers, housing challenges, independent living, parent concerns, planning, research, service gaps, transition to adulthood
• 2954    0

The process of transitioning to adulthood is always difficult for parents; more so when their children have special needs. For parents of young adults with ASD the challenges are manifold, including but not limited to financial problems, social difficulties and long term care and planning. Long...

Selecting Quality Residential Services for Adults with ASD

• By: Kay Brown, LISWS Jan Cline, MS, CCC-SLP Christine Keran, BA Donna Owens, MA Andie Ryley, Med Ellen Williams, PhD State of Ohio Adult Service Quality Indicators Work Group
• July 1st, 2013
• autism services evaluation, family decision-making, housing, independent living support, quality of care, residential services, safety and well-being, staff training, transition to adulthood
• 2221    0

There has been much discussion about bridging the gap between school services to adult services for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Families might experience this transition as a leap into the unknown. The daunting task of finding quality services for individuals with ASD is a cradle...

Summer Offers Opportunity for Skill Development for Children and Young Adults with ASD

• By: Mike Kunin, MA Jennifer Buri da Cunha, MA Johanna Kinsley, MPA Ramapo for Children
• July 1st, 2013
• camp, independent living, relationships, residential programs, self-confidence, skill development, social skills, summer camp, transition to adulthood
• 2206    0

Summer can be a perfect time for children and young adults to leave their everyday environments and discover new opportunities for skill development. Yet parents of children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often struggle with the idea of immersing their child in a new...

The Creation of a Model Independent Living Program: The POINT Program of White Plains, NY

• By: Ellen Forrest
• July 1st, 2013
• community integration, disability services, employment, family advocacy, independent living, supported housing, transition to adulthood, vocational support
• 3725    0

One of the most perilous times in the lives of young adults on the spectrum is the transition from the stability and structure of school to lives away from their parents’ homes - lives with as much independence as possible. I know this road well because I am the mother of a young man with an...

Affordable Housing Advocacy: An Approach to Success

• By: Mary K. Meyer, BA ASPEN - NJ Adult Issues North Chapter
• July 1st, 2013
• adults, affordable housing, community integration, disability support services, housing advocacy, independent living, public policy, transition to adulthood
• 2048    0

The question that keeps ASD parents awake at night: “Where will he/she live when I am no longer able to provide a home?” Questions and emotions swirl around whenever housing is the topic of any discussion: “It’s scary.” “It’s complicated.” “There are so many factors to...

Summer Vacation: A Prime Opportunity to Develop Social Skills for the Workplace

• By: Katherine Cody, PsyD Fay J. Lindner Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities
• April 1st, 2013
• communication skills, emotional regulation, employment readiness, perspective taking, Social Thinking, summer, transition to adulthood, workplace relationships, workplace social skills
• 2349    0

For many students, the end of the school year represents a time to relax, celebrate the change of pace, and enjoy leisure time. However, each year, there are many individuals who approach the end of the school year and find that this is a time of transition; a time for entering the unfamiliar world...

Traditional Education May Be the Biggest Barrier to a Meaningful Education

• By: Gloria M. Satriale, Esq, BCABA Thomas L. Zane, PhD, BCBA-D Endicott College
• January 1st, 2013
• applied behavior analysis, classroom, community integration, community-based instruction, functional life skills, generalization of skills, skill building, special education, transition to adulthood
• 3595    0

Unlike many disorders that are treatable with a pill or procedure, the most important form of treatment for an autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is education. However, the traditional special education model, notwithstanding the great advances made in public education, individualized programing and...

Executive Functioning Enhancement for High School Students with ASD

• By: Dianne Zager, PhD Samantha Curiale-Feinman, MSEd, TSHH New Frontiers in Learning
• January 1st, 2013
• evidence-based practices, executive functioning, high school, positive behavior supports, secondary education, social competence, students, transition to adulthood, universal design for learning
• 5508    0

Educators have made great strides in integrating students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) into general education over the past several decades; however, at the secondary school level, these students still often experience serious difficulties. A major obstacle to success for adolescents on the...