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The Cost of Literacy for Autistic Adults
Today, more than ever, literacy agencies nationwide are being called upon to assist adults with low literacy. Literacy Statistics “48 million adults lack basic reading, writing, and math skills beyond a third-grade level” (Literacy Facts, 2023). If every adult in the US functioned at...
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Prospect Meadow Farm: Empowering Autistic Adults Through Vocational Training, Employment, and Community Building
Located in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, ServiceNet’s Prospect Meadow Farms provides vocational training and employment for more than 100 differently-abled adults aged 22 to 70, 20% of whom are on the autism spectrum. The original farm, located on 11 acres in Hatfield, was...
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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...
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A Scaffolded Approach to Supporting Individuals with Autism in the Community
The outcomes for young adults with ASDs are well-known and well-documented. Without intervention young adults with ASD fail to reach basic young adult milestones in terms of independent living, employment, and social and romantic relationships. “Research suggests 70% of individuals with ASD will...
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High School Student Forms Nonprofit Devoted to Improving Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Isabella He, a junior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California, started the nonprofit organization SN Inclusion to bring career-technical education to individuals with special needs. SN Inclusion is dedicated to preparing individuals with special needs for careers through...
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Strengthening Community Engagement with Vocational Training and Employment for Young Adults with Autism
We want our students with autism to be able to answer the question, “What are you going to be when you grow up?” Vocational training and employment provides a sense of belonging, improved quality of life, community inclusion, and a paycheck. Historically, however, employment rates for adults...
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The Alien World of Work for Adults with Autism
After college, one is confronted with the confounding world of job searching. Unlike anything one has experienced before, a job search is filled with resumes, cover letters, and interviews, salary negotiations, networking, and writing that looks nothing like the work just finished to earn a degree....
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Comprehensive Transition and Post-Secondary Programs – An Emerging Model for Transitioning Individuals with ASDs to Adulthood
For many higher functioning individuals on the autism spectrum and their families, the road to independence and adulthood can be very puzzling. Although the student may possess the intellectual ability and be “otherwise qualified” to attend college or post-secondary vocational training, their...
