-
A Special Education Adventure to Autonomy
I was that kid who couldn’t always focus well in class, and not mildly so, but in a way that interfered with my ability to blend in with society in a school setting. I would frequently miss instructions, not pick up on various learning cues and have difficulty processing many parts of concepts...
-
Becoming an Autistic Mother: Navigating Pregnancy, Parenthood, and Support
Becoming a parent is an experience that reshapes people’s lives. For autistic mothers, it can bring joy but also create a unique set of challenges. Understanding of autistic women's experiences is increasing, but autistic women remain under-diagnosed and under-researched. Parenting information...
-
Coaching Through Career Transitions: Supporting Autistic Professionals Toward Clarity, Confidence, and Well-Being
Life transitions can feel disorienting for anyone, but for autistic adults – and especially those navigating workplaces that misunderstand their brilliance – the stakes are particularly high. Autistic professionals often carry the cumulative impact of masking, misinterpretation, chronic stress,...
-
Building Futures: Transition Planning and Success for Autistic Youth at StarUnite Café
While many children on the autism spectrum receive individualized education planning and interventions to support their successful achievement throughout their kindergarten, elementary and high school years, it is equally important to plan for success throughout adulthood. Some adults with autism...
-
A Therapist’s Guide to Teaching Autistic Adults Self-Directed Living Skills
Supporting autistic adults in creating self-directed lives, guided by their own preferences, goals, and values—is one of the most meaningful roles a therapist can play. Whether you are a behavior specialist, psychotherapist, social worker, counselor, or life skills coach, fostering autonomy...
-
“Just Let Me Try”: Autistic Self-Advocates Redefine Independence
For decades, conversations about autism and adulthood have been centered on building independence through goals, interventions, and structured curricula (Bouck & Joshi, 2015). Yet when autistic self-advocates describe independence, they do not speak in terms of compliance, readiness checklists,...
-
From Dissertation to Destination: Navigating the Post-PhD Transition to Employment
Have you had a dream where you wake up and realize you’ve overslept and are missing your exam? Where you scramble to leave home, sprint to school, and futilely run down an empty corridor to an exam that’s done? That’s how I feel right now, but I’m not dreaming and, though the situation...
-
When Dementia Looks Different: Transitions for Older Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are living longer lives then they have ever before (Bishop et al., 2015). Increased longevity means an increase in age-related changes and disorders such as dementia. Strydom et al. (2009) found that individuals with IDD are two to...
-
Hiring Autistic College Graduates in STEM: A Best-Practices Model
Businesses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) can better employ autistic students. 85% of autistic college students after having graduated for 5 years are currently underemployed or unemployed in the industry (Advanced Autism Services, 2025). A model of best practices for...
-
From Children’s Program to Adult Residential Care: Navigating Systems and the Hurdles of Transition
The transition from pediatric services to adult residential care for those on the autism spectrum is a complicated process. Educational systems, healthcare providers, social service agencies, and housing authorities all have a hand in this transition. However, the significant shift is from a system...
