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Saturday, May 25, 2013
Transition Time for Teens with Autism
by Alicia K. Gonzales, published on January 12, 2012 at 12:42 PM
Storyline: Autism Resources
Now that an autism diagnosis is 10 times more common than it was in the 1980s, more children than ever before are undergoing effective early interventions and treatment plans. However, one aspect of the disorder that has yet to garner attention is the scarcity of support for young adults transitioning out of high school and into adulthood.
“There is a severe lack of knowledge for educators and parents regarding available options after the public K-12 system,” says Rodger Stein, M.A., an instructor at UC Davis Extension and professor of psychology with the Los Rios Community College District who specializes in behavior supports for youth with high-functioning autism or Asperger syndrome. “We have to get to the point where our students are the ones driving their own transitions based on their own futures.”
Susan Bacalman, LCSW, a clinical social worker with the UC Davis MIND Institute, also understands the importance of preparing students for their transition to higher education or the workforce.
“In high school, many students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) had academic accommodations implemented by an Individual Education Plan team comprised of their parents, teachers, school counselors and resource-room specialists.” But once students leave high school or other district programs for young adults (through age 21), they are on their own.
To address this concern, Bacalman has spent the past few years co-leading a UC Davis group called STUDENTS INC. This group offers those who have self-identified as having ASD or Asperger syndrome an opportunity to meet other students on the spectrum and discuss common issues in a social environment.
“The biggest challenge for students with ASD is finding the right niche on campus,” says Bacalman. “A big campus like UC Davis can be a challenging environment for any student, but it is more so for students whose social interactions do not occur naturally and automatically.” In such a setting, says Bacalman, a student with ASD is at risk of becoming isolated and withdrawn, which could impact their schooling and mental health.
Yet owing to her experiences with teens at the MIND Institute, Bacalman recognizes that successful transitions can happen every day.
“I have met so many gifted people on the spectrum who, with the right backing—a peer support group, academic accommodations, assistance with managing stress and anxiety—can make immense contributions to our knowledge base and to our society.”
Preparing for a Successful Transition
Because Stein provides services to individuals diagnosed with autism or Asperger syndrome, he began to realize that the children who had undergone early interventions would soon become “a wave of ‘graduating’ students with basically nowhere to go.”
It was out of this concern that Stein worked with UC Davis Extension and the UC Davis MIND Institute to develop the course Supporting Transition for Youth (Ages 16-25). This course examines the transition process for students with ASD who are leaving K-12 education and entering higher education or the workforce.
“We created Supporting Transition in order to initiate a radical paradigm shift among educators, professionals and parents,” explains Stein, who is the head instructor. “Ongoing evaluations and assessments after high school have to become part of the planning process in order for these teens to become self-advocates.”
For parents whose teens will be leaving home come graduation, understanding the issues involved at transition time and the resources and support services available is essential. Students who do not enroll in a post-secondary program may have trouble finding meaningful work, and students who do pursue higher education may have difficulty identifying programs that meet both their academic and social needs.
“The best preparation for parents is to expect the same life for children with autism as children without ASD,” says Stein. Instead of fearing independence, parents should research options beforehand to make sure they identify the ideal placement for their teenager.
Regional Resources for Educators, Counselors and Parents
Alta California Regional Center
California Department of Rehabilitation
Los Rios Community College District
Sacramento County Regional Occupational Programs (ROP)
Sacramento Employment and Training Agency
UC Davis Extension Autism Spectrum Disorders courses
UC Davis MIND Institute
University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD)
Disclosure:
Alicia K. Gonzales works as a writer and editor for UC Davis Extension. She is the principal media contact for the organization’s Autism Spectrum Disorders program. You can reach her at 530-752-9467.
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The one in every 110 children rate isn't even current. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave us that number in 2009 but it was from studies of eight year olds back in 2006. Those kids are teenagers now. No one knows how bad the actual rate is. The point is that when we talk about autism, we're always talking about children with autism. No one has ever found a comparable rate among adults. That simple fact should be scaring us all.
Anne Dachel, Media editor: Age of Autism http://www.ageofautism.com/
Anne Dachel, Media editor: Age of Autism http://www.ageofautism.com/
My daughter is normal in math, that wasn't the part of her braiin affected by the encephalitis. She cannot converse at all, cannot reason like a typical girl her age (11), has a poor memory, and cannot interact with other people even at the level of a three-year old. It's great to say I should expect the same future for her as for a typical child, but where is that going to get her? She, like the vast majority of the million autists in the U.S. today, is going to be unable to cope with life when she's an adult, and will require big bucks from the taxpayer to support her.
Big Pharma is the only one profiting by this wholesale lifelong trashing and tossing onto a rubbish heap of our precious children. She was in zero danger of contracting hepatitis B, and I didn't want her to get the vaccine. The danger of measles, mumps, and rubella are NOTHING comprared to the danger of autism and bowel disease from the MMR, the danger of pertussis even in young infants is NOTHING compared to the autism, asthma, SIDS, and seizure disorders caused by the DTaP.
Let's limit this tragedy of a generation of permanently disabled children with no future to just this one, and not multiply it and prolong it into an increasingly disfunctional future. That means joining the ranks of the refusers, and just saying no to vaccines!