AHEADD.ORG | Adult Autism Support & Services

“Transition” has become a hot topic in recent months as a wave of the country’s children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) enter young adulthood. The subject of transition evokes wildly varying conversations regarding employment, college and housing. Each person needs to be considered individually according to his or her personal life goals, family objectives and resources as well as state/local/federal resources which may be available.
Of the three primary transition topics, employment is the single greatest barrier to achieving independence in adulthood. This is not due to lack of intelligence or ability, but can be due to difficulty meeting the necessary “soft skills” expected in an interview or while interacting with coworkers once a job is obtained. Oftentimes, when employment is found, it is not commensurate with an individual’s abilities.

Despite the statistics (only 10% of adults with autism maintain even part-time employment), this excellent article from the New York Times highlights a young man who is working toward achieving his personal and professional goals as he transitions toward adulthood. Justin has advocated for his goals of one day living in his own apartment and possibly even having a girlfriend. With the support of his family and continued exposure to vocational opportunities, his goal of affording his own place will likely come to fruition.

Read the entire New York Times article Autistic and Seeking a Place in an Adult World.

Just as Justin’s parents are amazed by what he has accomplished, we at AHEADD are amazed by our students triumphs. But should we be? These individuals have tremendous talents and strengths; they may simply benefit from additional social or organizational support in order to harness them. We have seen many of our students struggle to find jobs or maintain employment, but we have also seen many individuals succeed in reaching their vocational goals and maintain steady employment for years. With this level of success in mind, AHEADD continues to participate in many opportunities to increase support in the community and the workplace for individuals with ASD, as well as to help families and individuals on the spectrum obtain and maintain employment.

This summer, AHEADD partnered with Joey Travolta to host a two-week, 5 hours per day working film camp, providing invaluable vocational experience in addition to appropriate and individualized support for each camper.

This Fall, AHEADD will present vocational trainings to employers as well as informational sessions to community members, sponsored with funds from the CMS Medicaid Infrastructure Grant (CFDA #93.768).

Achieving Vocational Success with ASD is a 2-hour interactive training and is appropriate for individuals who employ, work alongside, and/or have potential to work with individuals with ASD. Training project for employers and staff will focus on:

1. Increased awareness of autism spectrum disorders, including Asperger’s Disorder
2. Increased understanding of the inherent value of employing persons with ASDs
3. Effectively supporting individuals diagnosed with ASD
4. Communicating, critiquing and problem solving with individuals diagnosed with ASD

Community information sessions will allow AHEADD to inform adults with ASD, their families, and their support staff ways in which to obtain and maintain employment. We will provide information on community resources such as The Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and help families get the ball rolling for employment. We will address

1. identifying skills and interests
2. learning ways to self advocate and understand one’s diagnosis
3. what employers will expect during interviews and employment
4. appropriate social behavior on the job
5. methods of receiving constructive criticism

Stay tuned for information on these trainings and join our mailing list on the main page (aheadd.org) to receive these updates automatically.