The Autism Society is proud to be active supporters of House Bill 3276
April 12, 2013
By Autism SocietyEarlier this week, Autism Society President and CEO, Scott Badesch, travelled to Austin, Texas to testify before the Texas House of Representatives. Mr. Badesch testified in support of House Bill 3276, which will provide insurance coverage for autism screening at 18 and 24 months and remove the age restrictions currently in place for autism coverage.
HB 3276, introduced by Autism Society Board Vice Chairman, Congressman Ron Simmons, aims to remove barriers and improve access to autism screening and services.
Mr. Badesch remarked following his testimony; “This bill represents an important step in removing barriers for those potentially affected by autism. As we know, early screening, diagnosis, and access to appropriate services is vital for individuals to achieve the highest quality of life. We at the Autism Society are proud of our Board Member, Congressmen Simmons and leadership the role he has taken on this important issue and will do all we can to actively support the passage of HB 3276.”
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Autism Society - The Autism Society is proud to be active supporters of House Bill 3276
Autism Society - A Message from the Autism Society President and CEO
A Message from the Autism Society President and CEO
April 19, 2013
By Scott BadeschAs Congress and President Obama begin discussions on the development and actions on Fiscal Year 13/14 federal budget, we will certainly hear the concerns voiced by many that there is just no money available to do what everyone wants the federal government to do. The same concerns are heard at the state and local government level. Certainly, that is true, but I often wonder how our government entities establish priorities for support when it comes to helping those in need.
Many of us will suggest that the government must determine the value of helping people in need as its highest priority. Others will argue that money spent today will save money in the future; these are all good and needed government discussions. But the reality is that how government defines priorities certainly doesn’t always relate to rational processes of budgeting and decision making. For example, we always find government money for airport expansions, so that planes can fly in and out of a city on time with little wait to take off or land. But, we can never seem to find money for helping people who are on waiting list as long as eight or more years for services. Does the government prioritize individuals’ times on the plane before an individual with developmental disability who waits several years for services ?
We always justify giving tax breaks to build sports stadiums and bring businesses into a community, based on an argument that in the long term more tax dollars will be earned as a result of the investment. But, we know that is often not true. What we do know is that if we use government dollars to invest in early treatment options for people living with autism, money is not only saved in the long run, but people are helped. Despite these facts of reality, government always finds money to invest in sports stadiums and business development, but rarely in young children living with autism.
So, how can we change this type of thinking? Some will argue we have to become more involved in the political process. Some will argue that the voices of the many are often drawn out by the voice of the few who are powerful and influential. That all is often true. But, the reality of the autism community is that we often are our own worst enemies.
I spend a good amount of time meeting with staff and elected officials in Congress and working with the President’s staff who are all good and caring people. But, in almost every visit I make to advocate for an action by government, the person I meet with will ask how the position we advocate for relates to an almost totally opposite position sought by another autism groups. One group advocates exclusively for research funds, another exclusively for more to address concerns regarding vaccines, some only advocate for funding for services for children, some advocate only for funding for services for adult’s, some restrict their advocacy and argue for greater civil rights enforcement and self-advocates rightfully advocate for inclusion of their important and needed voice. All this is good, but sooner or later we have to ask why the Autism Community can’t define priorities that we all promote and then use the volunteers and supporters we have to advocate those positions to their elected officials. We can and should do that, but I often find it to be difficult, if sometimes not an impossible task. Our passion for what we want is so strong. We just need to make sure that passion is best used to get what is needed.
For me, we must assure that the voice of those who have an autism diagnosis are heard and valued at the highest level. I believe that is what occurs within the Autism Society system. I also can’t understand how we can ask people to wait eight or more years for needed services at the expense of any other advocacy position. Research is so important but when funds are limited, we have to determine the needed balance of service funding with research. We have to stop spending money on funding incidence rates, when we don’t have the funds to help “one” of the 1 in 88 or 1 in 50, whichever incidence rate finding you support.
What we all want is needed. We need more research, we need to settle the concerns regarding vaccines and we definitely need help for children, families and adults affected by autism. I would suggest now is the time to have that occur, because as long as that doesn’t occur, we won’t have the needed funds for research, needed funds for services, we will continue to have people waiting several years for services and questions will remain on the cause of autism.
We can and now must do what is needed to get our collective voices heard and not lost in the national, state and local discussion. Visit your local or state Autism Society and become a member. Get involved, there is no better way to care and help address these issues than thru the Autism Society.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Obsessively picky - @Aspienaut - WIRED differently || AutismAid
There is something terrible in that feeling when the realisation hits. First you check your pockets, then the door, then your pockets again just in case lint has metamorphosed magically into your door keys. Then because you still can’t quite believe it you try the door again. All of this happens in a matter of a few seconds until finally you accept your reality. You have locked yourself out. Then the magnitude of your predicament sinks in. Your phone’s indoors, with your wallet and ID. Your landlady is away, not that you have her number, it’s indoors!
When the above last happened to me I ended up walking 2 miles into town to the local locksmith, who then told me he couldn’t help but had a number of an mobile emergency locksmith who could. I phoned and left a message. Several hours later he arrived. By this time I was just pleased to see him but was more than a little conflicted when he told me that to have access to my own home I was going to have to pay him £75.00! I felt powerless and so I paid. He walked up to my door, removed from his tool box a thin square of plastic, slid said plastic down the side of the door and frame until it was level with the locking mechanism. Then with a deft wiggle of the card and a little pressure on the door, hey presto, the door opened. It took him literally 5 seconds, about the same time it took me to write his cheque. I couldn’t believe what I’d just seen.
This was how my most recent obsession started, by paying someone £75.00 to open my door with a piece of plastic. I had to learn how to do this, I had to learn what this man knew. So, I read and read all I could get on the Internet about lock-picking and locks. I bought a book and a set of picks. I bought a set of training locks, I bought some pad-locks, I even bought some special plastic squares just like the locksmith used and I practiced and I practiced. For about a month, locks and lock picking was all I could think of. I’d dream about locks, talk about locks, think about locks. While watching the TV I’d have a padlock in one hand and picks in the other. Gently lifting each pin of the lock whilst applying the gentlest pressure until hearing that satisfying click of the lock popping open.
As with many of my obsessions I had to learn everything I could up to a point that was practical. I learnt how to open standard cylinder locks and pin locks and how to open my door as quickly as the locksmith. I learnt all about tension wrenches, picks and rakes. I learnt all I could right up to the limit of what I felt I needed to. I stopped at mortice locks and knew that unless I was actually going to train as a locksmith I had learnt enough and with that the spell was broken and I resumed my normal interests. I do however, still carry a small lock picking set with me and regularly leave my keys at home so I’ll have to pick my way back in.
I never know when the next obsession will happen but during that time, for as long as it takes, I’ll learn everything I can until I’ve learnt enough. It has always been this way and I’m sure it always will be and I for one hope it doesn’t stop, because this is one of the best things about being an Aspie. When we apply ourselves to something that interests us we can achieve a great deal, often much more than many think possible.
© Paul C Siebenthal Oct 2012.
A tempering. Childhood meltdowns and anger. - @Aspienaut - WIRED differently || AutismAid
When my character was still developing, I had not yet formed the coping mechanism I would soon rely on as an adult when over whelmed or upset; namely, going into ‘Stand-by’ mode. A state in which I turn inwards, go quiet but eventually my processors cool, I reboot and then can carry on. It was not always so.
A new follower on twitter expressed concerns about her son’s temper. I offered to write a short post about what he may be feeling and why he could be reacting as he is.
In order to explain what at times may seem unexplainable it helps to understand a few basic things about growing up ‘Wired Differently’. When you describe what growing up on the spectrum is like, it makes ‘melt-downs’ and anger slightly more understandable in young people on the spectrum.
For the first few years of my life I was able to live in a quiet world. The world of home, of familiarity. My bedroom was exactly as I needed it to be, the people who came into my life were people I knew, people I expected to see. The noises I heard and the food I ate were what I expected. I wore the clothes that I liked and which felt good against my skin. When things deviated from this norm I would act as though the world was ending. My reaction would seem so extreme, so over the top, so spoilt and angry it would dumbfound those around me as they watched this child go berserk because something was moved or had changed. I would hit another child at nursery for approaching me. I’d pick up a rock in the playground and chase a child down and throw it at them with all my strength because they had moved my toy car from the painted line on which it was traveling. There were so many things and so many times that my reaction would seem extreme. When I was 6 it was 1980. Kids like me were just not understood, our behaviors rung no alarm bells, we were just called naughty, were just bad children.
On my first day at school I wasn’t even meant to be going. We were actually taking my sister to her first day at a new school. On arrival the headmaster asked my mum how old I was, my mum told him and he took my hand and said, ‘he can come too then!’ That was my first day. It sounds incredible now but that’s what happened. Needless to say, school was tough for me. School for me was about coping. Managing fear, managing stress and managing people.
At the back of the class on the alphabet animal wall was a clock made by Smiths. A large round clock with a long second hand, a second hand that seemed too thin for its length. With each tick, each tok the end of the second hand shuddered, as did I with the sound it made, a sound which only I appeared to hear. This combined with the noise of the chalk on the board, the smell of the poster paint. The metal chair legs, whose rubber ends were long worn away by bored children’s fidgets, scraped along the floor. All of this made it almost impossible for me to follow what teacher was saying. I could tell from the letters on the board and the work on my peers desks that we were at this very moment practicing writing letters. I on the other hand, was just trying to cope with being there.
Factor in; the meaningless facial expressions of your peers and the teacher, the strange things they say, like ‘you need to pull your socks up young man’ or ‘when I get home I can’t wait to watch the football, its going to be blinding!’ So, there you are trying to cope with all this but how do you cope? How do you manage? You start to focus in on the things that you can control. You develop routines, ways of doing things that allow you this brief window of feeling that things are ok, that you may even have some control. You line up your pens on your desk. You wear the same clothes, every day. You eat your food in order and only the foods that you can texturally cope with.
You focus in on the things you can do. You can’t cope with the school lesson but you know things, you remember things, and these make you feel better. So you try and tell people what you know, but its not what they were talking about and they get annoyed with you. You find it hard to take on board the kind words of those who care for you because what they say doesn’t make any sense either. They talk about things getting better, improving in time but you don’t work like that. There is no future in your world view, just a now! You don’t imagine the future, you find no solace in this magical place, this future ‘never never land’. You are just you, here, now and you’re frightened. Stressed and lonely, your way of needing to do things; your routines, your knowledge and interests literally mean everything to you. They feel like they’re all you have and when even these are taken away, changed, stopped, then to you, it feels like a matter of life and death. Your very existence is at stake and so your reaction reflects that. That is why we meltdown, shutdown, go into stand-by or even lose our temper. Yet we keep on trying, keep on learning, trying again and again to cope with this mind blowing world in which we find ourselves.
© Paul C Siebenthal Nov 2012.
Monday, November 12, 2012
AutismAid™ Aware to Share Aware to Care || Autism Friendly Business,LLC™
DailyDDoSe™ @ELyssaD™.
"American Girl"
Well, she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn't help thinkin'
That there was a little more to life somewhere else
After all it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to
And if she had to die tryin'
She had one little promise she was gonna keep
O yeah, all right
Take it easy, baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
Well it was kind of cold that night,
She stood alone on her balcony
Yeah, she could hear the cars roll by,
Out on 441 like waves crashin' on the beach
And for one desperate moment
There he crept back in her memory
God it's so painful when something that's so close
Is still so far out of reach
O yeah, all right
Take it easy, baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
"Second Chance"
My eyes are open wide
And by the way, I made it
Through the day
I watched the world outside
By the way, I'm leaving out
Today
I just saw Hayley's comet
She waved
Said, "Why you always running in place?"
Even the man in the
Moon disappeared
Somewhere in the
Stratosphere
[Chorus]
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
Please don't cry
One tear for me
I'm not afraid of
What I have to say
This is my one and
Only voice
So listen close, it's
Only for today
I just saw Hayley's comet
She waved
Said, "Why you always running in place?"
Even the man in the
Moon disappeared
Somewhere in the
Stratosphere
[Chorus]
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
Here's my chance
This is my chance
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
[x2]
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
ELyssa Durant © 2012 || All Rights Reserved ELyssaD™
http://powersthatbeat.com
http://elyssadurant.com
For more info about our agency please visit AutismAid.org or to become an affiliate visit http://www.autismfriendlybusiness.com/
Autism Friendly Business,LLC™ http://bit.ly/AutismAidAFB
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'I already do.Chances are it's a better business to begin with if they are that concerned about families,right?"-Michelle"I wish Mcdonalds and the other fast food places would do it,it would be awesome we would always go there instead of staying home"-Linda
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For more info about our agency please visit AutismAid.org or to become an affiliate visit http://www.autismfriendlybusiness.com/
Autism Friendly Business,LLC™ http://bit.ly/AutismAidAFB
AutismAid™ Aware to Share Aware to Care || Autism Friendly Business,LLC-TM http://bit.ly/AutismAidAFB
DailyDDoSe™ @ELyssaD™.
"American Girl"
Well, she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn't help thinkin'
That there was a little more to life somewhere else
After all it was a great big world
With lots of places to run to
And if she had to die tryin'
She had one little promise she was gonna keep
O yeah, all right
Take it easy, baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
Well it was kind of cold that night,
She stood alone on her balcony
Yeah, she could hear the cars roll by,
Out on 441 like waves crashin' on the beach
And for one desperate moment
There he crept back in her memory
God it's so painful when something that's so close
Is still so far out of reach
O yeah, all right
Take it easy, baby
Make it last all night
She was an American girl
"Second Chance"
My eyes are open wide
And by the way, I made it
Through the day
I watched the world outside
By the way, I'm leaving out
Today
I just saw Hayley's comet
She waved
Said, "Why you always running in place?"
Even the man in the
Moon disappeared
Somewhere in the
Stratosphere
[Chorus]
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
Please don't cry
One tear for me
I'm not afraid of
What I have to say
This is my one and
Only voice
So listen close, it's
Only for today
I just saw Hayley's comet
She waved
Said, "Why you always running in place?"
Even the man in the
Moon disappeared
Somewhere in the
Stratosphere
[Chorus]
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
Here's my chance
This is my chance
Tell my mother,
Tell my father
I've done the best I can
To make them realize
This is my life
I hope they understand
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
[x2]
Sometimes goodbye
Is a second chance
ELyssa Durant © 2012 || All Rights Reserved ELyssaD™
http://powersthatbeat.com
http://elyssadurant.com
For more info about our agency please visit AutismAid.org or to become an affiliate visit http://www.autismfriendlybusiness.com/
Autism Friendly Business,LLC™ http://bit.ly/AutismAidAFB
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Tampa's Warriors for Autism seeks to help parents of autistic children in the bay area, as Warriors for Autism does so nationally - Tampa Bay Times
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Story Tools Print this story Purchase reprints Contact the editor Email Newsletters [Photos by KATHLEEN FLYNN l Times]During an August Warriors for Autism camp at Horsepower for Kids, Zane Zigler, 8, rides Snowy, led by volunteer Christina Cruz.').attr('border', '1').attr('width', image.width).attr('height', image.height).attr('src', image.url).attr('alt', image.caption).attr('title', image.altText).appendTo('#article-slideshow-1244817'); totalImagesAdded++; } }); if (totalImagesAdded >= 2) { $('#article-slideshow-1244817').cycle({ fx: 'fade', speed: 500, next: '#slideshow-next-1244817', prev: '#slideshow-prev-1244817', timeout: 0, after: ssOnAfter_1244817 }); $('#slideshow-nav-1244817').show(); } else { // one image, so just statically fill in the credit and caption var _i = $('#article-slideshow-1244817').find('img:first'); $('#slideshow-caption-1244817').html(_i.attr('alt')); if (_i.attr('title') != '') $('#slideshow-photog-1244817').html('[' + _i.attr('title') + ']'); } }); }); function ssOnAfter_1244817() { $('#article-slideshow-1244817').css('height', this.height); $('#slideshow-photog-1244817').html( (this.title !== undefined && this.title != '') ? '[' + this.title + ']' : '' ).fadeIn(); $('#slideshow-caption-1244817').html(this.alt).fadeIn(); }
TOWN 'N COUNTRY
When Deena and Olando Rivera found out their son, Anthony, was autistic, they experienced the stress and grief that many parents in their position face.
But more than 10 years after their son's diagnosis, the couple has learned enough about dealing with the disorder to form a nonprofit organization to help support the local autism community.
"We had this lightbulb moment when we realized that after all the fundraising we did for other organizations, we still don't have the services that we needed for our family or the other families that were in the community," said Deena Rivera, founder and chief executive of Warriors for Autism. "We decided, 'well let's try to do this ourselves.' We know what we need better than anybody. We know from our friends what they need so let's give it a shot."
Warriors for Autism provides life-enhancing services for families. It provides a wide range of activities for autistic children and helps those in the autistic community integrate into society through group meetings, education, job placement, fundraising and community events.
The need for local autism support is great, said Kelley Prince, founder and president of Behavioral Consulting of Tampa Bay, pointing out that the area has the sixth-highest number of cases of autism in the nation.
"I feel that, several years ago, the general public was not very educated on autism as a disorder," Prince said. "Although there is more awareness today, it is still a foreign idea to many."
All that the Riveras knew about autism at the time Anthony was diagnosed in 2001 was from the Academy Award-winning movie, Rain Man.
"When you think about it, Rain Man was pretty high functioning," Rivera said of the movie's autistic main character, played by Dustin Hoffman. "He could speak, he could dress himself. He was somewhat self-sufficient . . . People would wish that their child was as highly functional as a Rain Man."
Anthony, now 13, also is high functioning. But autism symptoms and severity can vary from person to person, affecting their ability to interact and communicate with others.
The Riveras said they formed Warriors for Autism as a way to provide families the services and knowledge to help them cope, which is something that didn't come to them right away.
"The big organizations like Autism Speaks were among the first ones assembling meetings, so that's what we were drawn to," Deena Rivera said. "But it's always that reminder of how lonely and devastating it was back then that draws us to help other people."
During the summer, the group has hosted weekly camps for autistic children at a local farm called Horse Power for Kids. The camps educate children about exotic animals and allows them to interact. They enjoy a variety of activities, including swimming, arts and crafts, field trips and horseback riding.
Tammy Matson, of Clearwater, said the camp has given her son, Ryan, an opportunity to play with animals, which isn't something he would normally be able to do.
"Plus, the group of kids are kids who are like him," she said.
Matson said her son has attended camps that aren't specifically for children with autism, and he would sometimes get left out "because he may act a little different and might do things a little different than the rest of the kids."
Susan Gettys, the director of education at Warriors for Autism, attests to the attention to detail autistic children need.
"It's a matter of knowing children, each individual child," Gettys said. "Deena says if you met one autistic child, you only met one autistic child."
Warriors for Autism operates on private donations and fundraisers. Donations from the New York Yankees Foundation have helped with the annual summer camps, and the couple also uses Olando Rivera's connections as a five-time world kickboxing champion to get contributions from area martial arts businesses.
"We've gone in for 10 years with autism and it's been a ride through trial and error in a lot of what we've done," Olando Rivera said. "But all we do is out of the kindness of our heart, because we want nothing but the best for our children."
On the Web
For more information, go to warriorsforautism.org
On the Web
For more information on the program,
go to warriorsforautism.org.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Accommodations, Interventions & Modifications || AutismAid
Accommodations, Modifications & Interventions
Accommodating Students with Special Needs
From Sue Watson, former About.com Guide
See More About:
Modifications? Accommodations or Interventions? Here's a checklist of strategies to help you with the inclusional classroom which will assist in meeting the needs of all students.___ Special needs students are within close proximity to the teacher or the teacher's assistant.
___ I have procedures that are well understood by students to keep noise levels at an acceptable level. The Yacker Tracker is a worthwhile investment.
___ I have a special carrel or private location for test-taking and or seatwork for those requiring 'free of distractions' to enable success.
___ I have eliminated as much clutter as I can and keep distractions to a minimum.
___ I never present instructions/directions orally alone. I always provide graphic organizers, written or graphical instructions also.
___ Clarifications and reminders are given regularly as needed.
___ Needy students have agendas which I regularly have them, and myself refer to. Home/school communication is in place for those students requiring it.
___ Work is organized into workable 'chunks'.
___ My classroom expectations are clearly understood as are my consequences for inappropriate behaviors.
___ Extra assistance is provided when needed through a peer or myself.
___ Praise for 'catching them doing it right' occurs regularly.
___ Use of behavior contracts to target specific behaviors is in place.
___ My students are aware of my cueing and prompting system which helps them stay on task.
___ I never begin instructions/directions until I have my classe's undivided attention.
___ I allow additional 'wait' time for my special needs students.
___ I provide my special needs students with regular, ongoing feedback and always promote their self-esteem.
___ Do all of your learning experiences promote learning?
___ Do you provide activies that are multi-sensory and take into consideration learning styles?
___ Do you let your special needs students repeat instructions/directions?
___ Do you modify and or shorten assignments to ensure success?
___ Do you have methods to enable the student to have text written to him/her and can they dicate their answers?
___ Do you provide opportunities for cooperative learning? Working together in groups often helps to clarify misconceptions for learning delayed students.
To find out more about success in the inclusional classroom, click here.
Suggested Reading
Teacher Time Savers
How to support job seekers with autism || AutismAid
How to support job seekers with autismWe have developed this fact sheet to provide information and direction on supporting people with an autism spectrum disorder. It is a starting point for a range of matters you may wish to consider when offering employment related support to this group of job seekers.Note: Autism spectrum disorders will be referred to as autism throughout this document.
Understanding autism and its impact on job performance
People with disability are usually experts in their own needs, and will understand the impact of their disability on work performance and what workplace adjustments they may need at interviews, while training or on the job. However people with autism may not necessarily have a great level of self awareness in these areas and may require additional assistance with these matters in order to find and keep a job.
Autism is a developmental disability that impacts on key areas including social interaction with others, communication, information processing and the need for sameness (structure and routine). The degree of difficulty will naturally vary from person to person.
Social skill difficulties stem from an inability to read others and can include:
Communication impairments might involve limited speech or no speech, difficulty initiating conversation with others and a repetitive use of language. For some people with good verbal skills, their language can still be very concrete with a failure to understand abstract concepts.
People with autism require structure and routine in order to learn new skills and to perform well at work. When overwhelmed or stressed a person with autism may demonstrate repetitive behaviours, for example, become preoccupied with particular narrow subjects, unusual objects or engage in stereotyped or repetitive movements such as hand flapping. This is observed as a means of coping with their difficulties.
Autism is also strongly associated with intellectual disability though people with Asperger’s syndrome, commonly referred to as higher functioning autism, often have normal intelligence levels and the ability to undertake tertiary education. They may also exhibit exceptional knowledge or talent in specific areas, while remaining impaired in all key areas of development including social skill difficulties and the need for sameness and routine.
Areas of functioning important to employment may be affected and include:
People with autism are capable of learning although it will often take longer than others. People with autism often require alternative teaching methods and extra assistance. Be aware that some people with autism struggle to cope with loud and busy environments so reducing distractions, relocating the work to a quieter space or a noise reducing head phone may assist with learning. Some skills or knowledge may be too demanding or complex, or may require constant reinforcement.
Some people with autism live independently in the community but many live with family or in supported accommodation facilities. It is therefore very important to establish contact with family or carers, and if you have permission to talk to them, communicate with them to help you build an accurate picture of the work related abilities and limitations of any job seekers with autism on your caseload. The support of significant others is a very important element in gaining a successful employment outcome for your job seeker.
The Workplace Adjustment Tool contains further information on autism. The Workplace Adjustment Tool is a searchable database that allows you to search for ideas for workplace adjustments and solutions based on a particular disability and the type of job being undertaken.
- Asperger's syndrome
- autism
- cognitive impairment
- pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified
Put the person first
When developing a job search plan or offering post-employment support, it is necessary to be flexible and treat each person with autism individually. Tailor your approach to individual needs and capacities and focus clearly on each person’s goals and abilities. This should also entail reassessing and adapting plans and support as necessary, linking people with relevant specialist services.
Tapping into existing support networks may also assist in realising vocational ambitions. Use current and valid assessments and reports (school, medical, rehabilitation and work capacity) to help you gain a full understanding of the person’s strengths, barriers and any assistance they will require along the road to employment.
Pre-employment strategies
You can assist job seekers with autism to find suitable and sustainable employment by developing, with the person and significant others, an individualised pre-employment plan that incorporates a discussion of the following:
- a job development strategy covering resumes, interviews and job search techniques, including the job seeker’s role and your role in these activities
- consideration of disability disclosure
- requirements for workplace adjustments or modifications
- consideration on post-placement support needs.
Job search
Sometimes people with autism may express strong views about jobs in which they could succeed. These ideas arise from their limited understanding of options or what is involved in a particular job. Consequently, it is crucial to carefully explore each job seeker’s work skills and interests through personal discussion, checking any previous employment referees or talking frankly to work experience teachers.
For those with limited or no recent work experience, it may be beneficial to arrange work experience or voluntary work to assist in determining future job choices.
This process of exploration may also help determine whether a person will be able to work for full wages or be paid productivity-based sub-minimum wages through access to the Supported Wage System.
Most job seekers will benefit from personal involvement in preparing suitable resumes, and using a range of jobsearch methods. However, most people with autism will need assistance to write resumes, arrange interviews and to contact employers. Reverse marketing, consisting of job creation or redesign approaches prior to advertising, may be the best method to use with many in this group. A good rule of thumb is to involve a person to the maximum level of their abilities in the whole job search experience.
Job interviews—support and interview tips
When it comes to actual job interviews or face to face meetings with employers, many people with autism will often struggle to compete for jobs with other candidates. Consequently they may benefit from advocacy support at interviews or meetings to fully understand the job requirements and sell themselves to a prospective employer. This may include help with explaining individual training and support needs or employer incentives that may be available (for example, wage subsidies, supported wages).
Importantly, as an interview support you can also encourage an employer to avoid complex or ambiguous language, to rephrase questions if they are not initially understood, or to compensate for possible information processing difficulties while also allowing enough time for responses to interview questions.
All job candidates, whatever their interview skills, can benefit from interview practice opportunities and from understanding what job interviews entail from start to finish. Also make sure the job seeker has a good understanding of what are acceptable and legally permissible interview questions in relation to their disability.
Disclosure issues
There is no single answer to the question of disability disclosure for people with autism.
For some this may not be a critical issue as their disability will be obvious. In this case it may be a matter of working out a way of discussing a person’s disability and abilities with prospective employers in a manner with which they are comfortable.
For a small number of higher functioning people with autism or Asperger’s syndrome, disclosure can become a real issue that warrants careful consideration. Sometimes the disability may not be initially apparent in an interview or on the job and may even be perceived as odd behaviour or eccentricity. This can often lead to labelling by co-workers. While it is always the person’s choice to disclose, in this case appropriate disclosure strategies may be vital to ensure that the job seeker receives the support and training they need to make the job placement succeed.
Post-placement strategies
Job commencement—on site training techniques and tips
Starting a job can be a testing time for any new employee but for many with autism, given their particular difficulties, there may be the need for extra training assistance and support in addition to any employer incentives you may arrange. This will vary depending on the employee, the severity of the disability, the complexity of the job and the nature of the workplace. Such training could include:
The ideal situation is when the employer takes ownership of employee induction and training, but for new employees with autism they may need your advice and assistance to get it right. The following is a series of tips on effective training for such employees, though keep in mind that every person is unique with their own capabilities, limitations and learning styles:
For higher functioning people with autism or Asperger’s syndrome more of an emphasis should be placed on initial social skills and behavioural training appropriate to the particular workplace and the various co-workers with whom they will interact and communicate with on a regular basis.
Ongoing support
Once an employee with autism has commenced work and been given all the necessary initial assistance and training, you can increase their chances of maintaining this employment by providing ongoing support as it is required. Ongoing support requirements and the way this support is delivered should be discussed with the employee. Ongoing support may include:
More information
For information and step by step instructions on the financial help available to employers of people with disability, including the application process, visit:
The following fact sheets, developed for service providers, are also a useful resource:
Autism Today - Survival in the Workplace || AutismAid
Survival in the Workplace
by Stephen Shore
Because most of us must work for a living, attention to surviving in the workplace is vital. I shall report my experiences.
First Jobs after College and Fitting in.After receiving my bachelor's in Music Education and Accounting & Information Systems I set forth to work in a medium sized Certified Public Accountants firm. Boy was that a mistake. I went to work at an accounting firm, from which I was let go after three months.
I spent hour after hour preparing financial statements by hand for the auditing of mutual funds; so much so that I got tendonitis of the wrist. As the low man on the totem pole, I would spend much time verifying the work others had done. Even though I had just graduated as an honor's student with a bachelor's degree in the field, I often felt my coworkers were talking in another language when they explained procedures and where different documents were located. It seemed as if I had been dropped into a foreign culture. I felt like I needed to be shown step by step in a discrete manner to get a grasp of what was expected of me. No one was willing to do that for me.
I was closely supervised and was expected to fit in with all of the accountant/business employees. The business uniform is the suit and tie… which drove me nuts. I can't stand to wear a tie. The only way I could survive was to ride my bicycle from where I lived (about 7 miles) to work and enjoy the out-of-doors for an hour and a half each day. It took 45 minutes to get to work this way as opposed to the 2 hours by public transportation. Made sense to me.
Riding my bicycle to work and changing into my suit in the basement of the office was too weird for them. The personnel officer told me that I had better take public transportation and arrive at the office in my suit. Thinking back to that time I realize that I could not have chosen a place that was more conservative and conformist had I tried. Probably all financial institutions are like this. After a while I spent most of my time in their library reading business reference books as the supply of work seemed to dry up. On occasion, I would seek out work from other coworkers, or drop into one of the senior manager's office for a chat.
An assignment with a fellow accountant at the firm didn't work out well at all. I could never really understand what he wanted and he seemed irritated at the things I did. The bank where we worked was overheated. In response to that I would often open the window and take off my shoes when I was sitting at the desk out of view of other people. He didn't like that at all. While auditing a ledger I mentioned to him that it was difficult to read some of the numbers.One day the personnel officer called me into his office and told me he was letting me go. He said that I just didn't seem to fit in and suggested that there may have been a disability that I had failed to disclose to him when I interviewed for the job. That disability may very well have been there. To me, however, it was something of the past and it never occurred to me that accommodation may have been needed. I just thought I was stupid because I didn't "get it." Getting fired was very humiliating and embarrassing to me. With a fuzzy, heavy feeling in my head I gathered my belongings and left.
My next job was at a large bank as a portfolio accountant. I made trades for, received interest and dividends for, and created regular financial reports for $750,000,000 of pension fund money. I had now learned better how to blend into the business world. They tolerated my riding my bicycle to work. However, I was miserable being involved in the business culture.
In addition, the assumption that I had left the bullies behind in junior high school, was incorrect. They were here too. Save for friends from India and Ethiopia, I kept to myself. I simply was not interested in spending the day yacking about team sports and how much a certain couch cost. I stayed at this large bank for the next year and a quarter but was unhappy there. I love the study of business, accounting and taxation but I cannot stand working with the people who choose these areas for their careers.
I left this job after 15 months to teach business at the vocational and college level.
The strange thing is, that I find the STUDY of business, taxes, the stock market, etc. fascinating. I also enjoy TEACHING business subjects; but not as much as teaching music. I just can't tolerate working with the personality types who are attracted to this field.A Better Fit
I realized that teaching was for me. There was no close supervision with someone watching my every move. My supervisors and students were closer o accepting me as myself then in any previous position. They actually respected that I rode my bicycle to work. My next place of employment was at a finishing school for secretaries. A warning like what is issued by the robot on the TV show Lost in Space should have gone off in my head: Too strict a dress code… I was let go from that place after two years.
The Best Fit
When I got my job as professor of music and computers in January 1994, I new I had found my niche. I could do what I loved and expend much less energy trying to blend in. As long as students are happy, learning what they are supposed to, the administration is happy too.
There are some people there who respect what I do for the school and serve as mentors. They inform me of potential political blunders I may be about to make and are ready to help bail me out if I get into trouble. It is often difficult for me to read the political wind of things and I'm terribly susceptible to bully-types that cross my path.
Those of us in the Fine and Performing Arts are frequently expected to be somewhat quirky and that suits me fine! By the way, I don't have to wear a tie! Some people at work may sense that I'm different but most of the school community has no true sense of what I'm really about.
After this trip through various places of employment some things became clear to me. To survive as a full-time employee of an organization, these tenets must be followed by me.
1. I must know myself well enough to know where in the workplace I fit in. I seriously misjudged that as I entered the business world. The conformity along with the suit & tie thing just doesn't work for me.
2. Close supervision of my day-to-day activities doesn't work for me. I do much better if I'm given a task and a period of time to figure out what must be done, usually in a way that it hasn't been done before.
3. Find a mentor or mentors I can trust. They can save your employment life.
4. Having an interest in a particular field doesn't mean that it is good for me to work in.
5. There is more to life than work. [[Really?]] Yup! I'm still learning that.
My work at the college, however, was circumvented by a politically oriented challenge that I was unable to meet. As new full-time faculty member at this school, I had the full backing and support of my dean in teaching my classes along with course and curriculum development. Upon her direction and with the approval of the chair of my department, I set out to restructure the music area degree offerings and add new courses to the curriculum. Where it was only possible to declare a general major of music, my idea was to create different options within that degree. My sense that students would more readily identify with a specific program rather then a general music degree came to fruition as the number of declared music majors doubled soon after the change was implemented.
After following the bureaucratic maze of policies and procedures along with much collaboration with other faculty and staff, the restructured program was approved by an all college vote. Within this victory for my department and the others involved were sown the seeds of destruction for my continuing as a professor at this school.
Subtle Social Situations Rear Their Ugly Heads
There was a long-term faculty member, who held much power, that felt put out by my failure to consult with him in the restructuring plans. This person taught a single music class, had been in the college for almost two decades, and was very influential in determining academic policies within the institution. As I was new to the college, it never occurred to me to consult with the chair of another, seemingly unrelated, department as I went about my plans to reconfigure the music program.
While I did confer with other members of the music department as I went about these modifications, I should have expanded my inquiry towards additional people who were working within the music department. Perhaps my over reliance on the documented organization chart rather than the informal organization led to my overlooking this person.My not sensing this situation, combined with the challenges of my not being able to read subtle social situations (office politics), resulted in this person's initial displeasure with my working at the college. Unaware of the gravity of the situation in this person's mind I never took steps to make amends for my transgressions towards him. From that point on he was always at the ready to oppose further plans for developing the music department.
For my first three years at this school I enjoyed a well-established support system that encompassed colleagues as well as administration ranging from the dean all the way up to and including the president of the college. Despite the attempts of the faculty member I had offended, along with his cadre of who supported his wish to have me let go from the position of music professor, the administration saw that I was continuing to make a substantial contribution to the college and kept me on. Some of these contributions to the college included the doubling of declared music majors and the donation of almost $40,000 of musical equipment to the school via grant proposals.
Unfortunately, over these three years, the support base I had established with the administration and other faculty eroded away as they left the college for various reasons. Lacking this support, the offended faculty member was able to get the school to conduct a nationwide search for the music position I had now held for three years. Two national searches were mounted. With the first, I was one of the top three candidates for the position. Another person was chosen but declined the position. The second time, I received the greatest number of votes from the search committee. Despite the search committee's recommendation of my candidacy for the position I had already held for three years, along with the agreement from the dean of the department, the music position was suddenly terminated.
Emotional Aftermath
This greater than one year process of losing this job has been very painful to me. For a time that I thought, like the others at this college, that I had a good shot a chance for having a job for life that I could enjoy. This position seemed to be a dream. I could do what I loved and there was time to pursue my interests in other areas such as autism, bicycles and other areas. Losing the job, in spite of following all the procedures I thought necessary to retain the position, was a blow to my belief that by adhering to the rules I could attain my goal to keep this position.
As this long drawn out process continued, I realized that losing the job was indeed to become a reality. I needed to do something to sublimate the energy created by the angst of the looming possibility of becoming unemployed.
This made me very angry towards the perpetrators responsible for my job loss. As this seemed so terribly unfair to me, with much trepidation, I filed legal action with governmental agencies and with the union. It seemed, since the school was had so blatantly gone against the teacher's contract, I should be able to win my position back. I was very reluctant to do request assistance from the teacher's union as confrontation is very difficult for me. I suspect that confrontation is very difficult for me because it involves strong, unpredictable emotional behaviors and reactions. Being a person that likes things to be scripted out before they happen, the unknowns of confrontation can be very frightening.
The result was an additional year, and no more, of employment. Even though I was still working and the actual prospect of joblessness was yet to occur, I experienced a big change in attitude towards my place of work. Until this time, aside from my wife and family, I gave this position first priority insofar as devoting my time and energy. Because I received such positive feedback from the president of the school and other superiors, I felt what I did there was good and needed by the school.
After realizing that the school - or specifically, a few key people -- did not view me on that basis, I chose to redirect my energies elsewhere. It no longer seemed to be necessary to be friendly with most of the people there and certainly no need to perform any job functions that were beyond what was described in the teacher's contract. It was these additional things beyond the bare teaching and advising students that gave me a lot of satisfaction of doing a complete and good job.This caused me to withdraw emotionally from the school that was previously a source of so much pleasure. The position became a mere shell of its former self. I did as I saw many other teachers do: arrive, teach, help the students, and leave. It was very difficult changing my work philosophy here to this minimalist approach as it is my nature to continually work towards making the school a better place for the students. Seeing that there was no future here made anything that related to continued development of the school irrelevant.
Whereas this position had been a source of enthusiasm and energy for me; it now was an emotional drain. Suddenly I realized a possible reason why others at this institution seemed to put just a minimal effort there. Perhaps they too, had been burned by office politics and felt unappreciated.
Onward and Beyond
I have finished writing Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome (2001, Autism Asperger Publishing Company). Using the autobiographical form, my observations from working with people on the autism spectrum and other realizations are woven throughout the book. I am now happily enrolled in a doctoral program in special education with a concentration on helping people on the autism spectrum reach their fullest potential.
Currently, when not working with people on the autism spectrum and studying, I teach computers and statistics at various colleges in Massachusetts.
Excerpted from Shore, S. (2001). Beyond the wall: Personal experiences with autism and Asperger Syndrome.
Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company.
Autism Asperger Publishing Company Beyond the Wall is at http://www.asperger.net/wall.htm.
Beyond the Wall is available at Amazon.com.
Asperger Complications || AutismAid
Asperger Complications
Due to Asperger complications there is no sharp image of the stereotype behavior of an Asperger child or adult. They will all face problems in social interaction, communication and imagination but these problems will vary from person to person. Offcourse each individual also has his or her own personality and intelligence and may come from a totally different environment or background. All these factors play their own part in how this person is affected by Asperger Syndrome. But there are more Asperger complications.
Asperger Syndrome hardly ever comes alone. Most of the time it is just one of the problems a child or adult has. This is what we mean by Asperger complications. Factors that make it more difficult to see and recognize the Asperger symptoms or traits. There are several other conditions or disorders known to appear together with Asperger Syndrome such as:
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
• Nonverbal learning disorder (NLD)
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Sensory overload
• Anxiety
• Tourette’s Syndrome
• Perfectionism
• Depression
• Giftedness
• Tics
• Anger tantrums
• Dyslexia
• Dyscalculia
• Epilepsy
• Delayed Motor Skills
• Fear of failure
The signs and symptoms of these Asperger complications can get in the way of recognizing the symptoms of Asperger Syndrome and dealing with those symptoms. The presence of co-occurring conditions may delay the Asperger syndrome diagnosis or get parents, spouses and teachers sidetracked. For parents it means more issues to deal with and more problems to solve. To guide a child with Asperger Syndrome towards adulthood is not an easy task at all and the last thing you need as a parent is more complications.Read a personal story about my own Asperger son and his sensory problems when he was younger.
The scientific term for other disorders to appear together with Asperger Syndrome is comorbidity. It's a definition that pops up on a regular basis in books and literature on Asperger or any of the other autistic disorders. The list above may not be complete but will give you a good impression of what you can expect on top of the Asperger diagnosis.
Anxiety in Asperger Syndrome || AutismAid
Anxiety in Asperger Syndrome
Anxiety is one of our normal human emotions that everyone will experiences some times. Many of us feel anxious, or nervous, when we have problems or stress at work, or before taking a test. Anxiety disorders, however, are different. They can cause so much distress that it interferes with a person's ability to lead a normal life.People with this disorder are worried and feelings of fear, uneasiness or panic are constant. These feelings can be overwhelming.
There are some common factors that could cause feelings of anxiety:
• Stress at work or in school
• Stress in a personal relationship such as marriage
• Financial stress
• Stress from an emotional trauma such as the death of a loved one
• Stress from a serious medical illness
• Side effects of medicationResearch has shown that the rate of anxiety symptoms in children or adults with Asperger Syndrome is much higher then average. Over 75% of all children with Asperger also experience intense anxious feelings. For people without Asperger the disorder most often begins during their late teens and early adulthood but if it appears together with Asperger Syndrome it can be present even in young children.
This disorder can easily co-occur with Asperger Syndrome and make life even more difficult. To be diagnosed with two disorders at the same time will effect the quality of the child’s life specially when symptoms go unnoticed and untreated.
When your child or spouse is diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome it might be wise to look for signs of anxiety disorder too!Learn more on how to help children or teens with anxiety and check out these books:
Some of the symptoms of anxiety in Asperger syndrome could be:
• Avoidance of new situations
• Preference for sameness
• Rigidity
• Insisting on rules and routines
• Social withdrawal
• Irritability
• Somatic complaints
• Repetitive behavior
• Anger management problems
• TantrumsOff course the list of Asperger symptoms is longer and will overlap symptoms of anxiety. This is why this disorder in people with Asperger may go undiagnosed
Due to the characteristics of Asperger Syndrome such as being unable to cope with new situations or unexpected events makes it logical that feelings of panic appear. Individuals with Asperger will experience more stress in their lives. The unpredictable way other people behave, break rules or express their emotions makes those with Asperger feel unsafe. The typical mannerisms individuals with Asperger have such as flapping their hands, head swiveling, rocking their bodies, their preference to routines and rituals or their repetitive behaviors are all different ways to cope with anxious feelings. It helps those with Asperger to feel in control of the situation.
The typical repetitive behavior is to prevent feelings of uneasiness which occur when something new or unexpected happens. The need for routines, sameness and rules can also be related to avoiding feelings of anxiety. This repetitive behavior gives them a way to express their feelings of stress or anxiety.
When the situation becomes unbearable in the eyes of those with Asperger their typical behavior will increase. Some even say Asperger behavior equals stress or anxiety behavior. Their rigid thinking provides them with copings skills for these feelings. As long as their environment is predictable and filled with structured rules and regulations they can rely on, their anxious feelings will diminish.
What to do?
There are successful treatments for anxiety disorder such as:
• Psychotherapy: provides strategies for dealing with this disorder
• Cognitive behavioral therapy: helps recognize and change thought patterns and behaviors
• Medication: are used to reduce the symptoms
• Relaxation therapy: may provide techniques to calm down
However when your child has both Asperger Syndrome as well as anxiety disorder you can also:
• Look for information on Sensory Integration Therapy and find a qualified ORT that can help your child to calm down when feelings of anxiety appear. Go to sensory overload for more information.