Transitioning from adolescents to adulthood, for people with autism, is extremely difficult, and that planning needs to start very early. Every week at least one family comes to my office with a teen with autism or Asperger's (ASD) and wants advice on how to prepare their child for living on their own. Let's be frank, parents get older and realize they will not be around to take care of their son or daughter forever, and they want to know what to do. I am sometimes horrified that school districts have done little if any planning for this transition. Sometimes they wait until grade 11 or 12. By then it is difficult to make a transition plan, if not impossible. Some services are available for these students through provincial funding, but time after time even applying for these services has not been planned for. Applications require a recent -within the last two years - psychological assessment, and schools in this province have been taking one, two or even three or more years to provide an initial assessment, never mind a follow-up assessment of their students. Parents are then forced to fund these assessments themselves. For any child that comes in to my office I ask his or her parents, "What do you think Mike will be doing when he's 25?" Sometimes their is a clear plan, one with a bright future, their child working, living independently and ...paying taxes! Sometimes parents break down and are overwhelmed by their stress about what to do. Aspeger's, high functioning autism, autism and related social cognitive disorders require one thing more than anything else: A plan.
Parent's of children with autism often bring in a 3 ring binder which has a picture of their child on it, and inside are stories, photos, all the testing and treatment information, work samples and so on. They use this to present their child to others in a positive way that makes them consider them as more than a disorder, coding and problem, but instead as a real person with interests, skills, and a story.
I sometimes suggest they start a second book with their child...one about the future. With drawings about where they might live some day, what they will do, who they will know and what life will be like. There's a Dr. Seuss book like thins called, " The Places we will go." So, start a "Future Book" or "Planning Book" with your child.
Today's blog started because of a great article in the New York Times about just this situation. It's about a young man transitioning out of high school in a great supportive transition/training program. (A program you should pay attention to: This is the minimal quality of support you should expect for YOUR child with autism or Asperger's Disorder - minimal! Maybe you should suggest his or her teachers read this.)
Here is how it starts, "People with autism, whose unusual behaviors are believed to stem from variations in early brain development, typically disappear from public view after they leave school. As few as one in 10 hold even part-time jobs. Some live in state-supported group homes; even those who attend college often end up unemployed and isolated, living with parents.
But Justin is among the first generation of autistic youths who have benefited throughout childhood from more effective therapies and hard-won educational opportunities. And Ms. Stanton-Paule’s program here is based on the somewhat radical premise that with intensive coaching in the workplace and community — and some stretching by others to include them — students like Justin can achieve a level of lifelong independence that has eluded their predecessors." Here is the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/us/autistic-and-seeking-a-place-in-an-adult-world.html
Great article, great video. A lot to think about. For those looking for some materials to look at right now bout adults with autism and Asperger's Disorder I suggest going to Michelle Garcia Winner's web page, "Socialthinking.com" You'll find a lot of great support material there, most of what I use in my practice, and a lot of what local school districts use, comes from Michelle's hands.
Two good books:
Socially Curious and Curiously Social: A Social Thinking Guidebook for Bright Teenagers and Young Adults by Michelle Garcia Winner
Social Thinking at Work: A Guidebook for Understanding and Navigating the Social Complexities of the Workplace. Also by Mitchell.
I hope you find the article helpful.
About Dr. Roche:
Dr. Jim Roche is a Registered Psychologist and a Registered Marriage and Family Therapist with offices in Vancouver and Burnaby, BC. He has been in practice for over 25 years and has served as a Provincial Consultant on Asperger's/Autism/ASD as well as Director of Behaviour Programming for several school districts here in Canada, in New York and California. In addition to being a Registered Psychologist he is a Certified/Licensed Teacher of Special Education and School Psychologist.
Other information about Dr. Roche can be found at: www.relatedminds.com , www.relatedminds.com/adhd, http://Therapists.Psychologytoday.com/70682, www.bcpsychologist.org/users/jimroche, http://psyris.com/drjimroche.
Specific Information about his services for children with autism and Asperger's Disorder can be found at: http://www.relatedminds.com/autism/
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