BY ERNST VANBERGEIJK, PH.D., M.S.W. Without specific job training, individuals on the autism spectrum face rather bleak employment prospects. At best, the employment rate is 45 percent for this population. Anecdotal reports find that only about 10 percent of individuals on the autism spectrum find employment. Often, employment is part-time, minimum wage work which does…
Making Sense of Genetic Testing for Autism Spectrum Disorders
GENETIC ALLIANCE BY LAUREN LICHTEN, MS CGC Although it is a routine recommendation to offer genetic testing to all children who have a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the thought of genetic testing can be unsettling to many parents. It also can be very difficult for families and doctors to obtain clear and…
Free
BY KIMBERLEE RUTAN McCAFFERTY This past summer my family and I spent a day at Great Adventure. It’s the only place Justin, my severely autistic son, willingly stays for more than an hour (I have often joked with my husband that wherever we live has to be within a 30 minute radius of a Six Flags parks.) It’s usually…
Read Aloud
BY KIMBERLEE RUTAN McCAFFERTY Justin bursts into the conference room, sees me, and stops dead in his tracks. A huge smile engulfs his entire face, and he quickly resumes the trajectory that will invariably end in a hug and a kiss from me. The rest of his IEP team laughs at his exuberant welcome, and…
Can You Relate?
BY SHELLEY HUHTANEN Last week, I was grateful to be able to share our story with those who could appreciate it. In the military, every family faces some sort of challenge.
Sleep, Glorious Sleep
BY KIMBERLEE RUTAN McCAFFERTY – Dr. Margaret Souders called the author regarding participation in a study whose goal was to see if kids with ASD sleep better with a home-based program adjusted to their individual needs.
A Road To Emotional Awareness For Students On The Autistic Spectrum
A Road to Emotional Awareness for Students on the Autistic Spectrum Through Performing William Shakespeare
Seminole State College Lauches Autism- Focused Interior Design Course
Students’ goal: Redesign kitchen for family with two special needs children. Kathryn Rivera, interior design professor at Seminole State College of Florida, is blazing a new trail in the emerging field of designing interior spaces for people with autism. For the past three years, Rivera has taught classes at Seminole State on topics such as building codes,…