Healing Thresholds Autism Therapy Topic Feed

Parents Hope Thrift Store Becomes Place to Support Workers with Autism

scottie — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:25:03 +0000

Teaser:

Fred and Alicia Harmon originally opened Lil’ Treasures Shoppe in order to increase the family's income.

Body:

Fred and Alicia Harmon originally opened Lil’ Treasures Shoppe in order to increase the family's income. But with two older children, and twins with autism, they decided that the Amarillo Texas thrift store might one day become a place for the twins and others with autism to find employment. In the meantime, Lil’ Treasures serves as a place for the twins to learn social skills and for other families with autism to stop in and find support. The boys also receive applied behavior analysis (ABA) at the autism program at Texas Panhandle Centers.

Read original article: Parents Hope Learning Changes, Thrift Store Will Help Sons Grow

Autism Centers Provide Social Skills and Employment

scottie — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:16:09 +0000

Teaser:

Stella Spanakos, mom of a son with autism, has launched two new centers in the Port Washington area.

Body:

Stella Spanakos, mom of a son with autism, has launched two new centers in the Port Washington area. Nicholas Center for Autism, named for her son, is a facility that focuses on life skills for people with autism. Clients learn improved communication and job training. Spectrum Designs is an offshoot of the Center and provides employment for people with autism as well as custom-made apparel, accessories, and special event favors all created by people with autism. Spanakos and her co-founder Nicole Sugrue are convinced that parents want the best opportunities for their children with autism. She and Sugrue hope that both the Center and Spectrum Designs will fill that need.

Read original article: New Autism Center Opens in Port Washington

Singapore to Open Jobs Center for Young Adults with Autism

scottie — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 16:50:29 +0000

Teaser:

Several factors have increased the possibilities for young adults with autism to get fulfilling jobs in Singapore.

Body:

Several factors have increased the possibilities for young adults with autism to get fulfilling jobs in Singapore. The Autism Resource Center (ARC) is creating a job center in early 2012 that will teach employment skills to young adults who have graduated from school, but not yet entered the workforce. The YMCA Singapore is joining with the Danish group, Specialist People, to match workers with autism to specific jobs. In addition, Singapore’s laws have made it more difficult to hire foreign workers, so there are many job opportunities for workers with special needs. More and more Singapore businesses are realizing that employees with special needs can be reliable and hard working. Finally, the Enabling Employers Network is an alliance that promotes hiring people with autism and other disabilities.

Read original article: A Helping Hand for People with Autism in the Workforce

Suggestions for Helping Teens with Autism Transition to Adulthood

scottie — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:24:16 +0000

Teaser:

In this article, Wrightslaw, special education advocates, provide information on helping teens with autism transition to adulthood.

Body:

In this article, Wrightslaw, special education advocates, provide information on helping teens with autism transition to adulthood. Did you know that by age 16, students covered by IDEA are required to have a transition services plan (TIEP) in place? Some issues to consider in the transition plan include: vocational rehab, counseling and training; college; career trade or profession; integrated employment; adult services; assistive technology; and independent living. If you need help during these transition years, you can contact the National Disability Rights Network (NDRN). NDRN is the federally-mandated organization to protect and advocate rights for people with a range of disabilities.

Read original article: Transitioning to Adulthood Poses Challenges for Those with Autism

Sheltered Workshop Environments Help People with Autism Gain Job Skills

scottie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Teaser:

In the Philippines, the Magna Carta for Disabled Persons requires that people with disabilities, including autism, have certain employment rights.

Body:

The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons in the Philippines requires that people with disabilities, including autism, have certain employment rights. In order to provide job training and employment skills, sheltered workshops have opened. The workshops provide a vocational education environment. When students leave the sheltered workshops they have the potential of being hired by companies that include a laundromat, food services, and computer and clerical skills. In the Philippines, sheltered workshops include: Let It Shine Foundation, Autism Society Philippines, and Independent Living and Learning Center.

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Israel's Society for Autistic Children (ALUT) Tackles Challenges of Autism

scottie — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:32:06 +0000

Teaser:

Israel's Society for Autistic Children (ALUT) provides therapies and interventions that take a child with autism from early diagnosis through adulthood.

Body:

Israel's Society for Autistic Children (ALUT) provides therapies and interventions that take a child with autism from early diagnosis through adulthood. ALUT has 62 facilities for people with autism including 12 preschoools that provide applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy five days a week. ALUT can diagnose a child as young as 18 months and then can begin early intervention treatment. ALUT also provides education, residential care (if needed), transition from school to adulthood, and employment training. Rachel Rosenman, the Director of ALUT, says that funding is from private and public sources.

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Men with Mops Provides Jobs for People with Autism

scottie — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:31:12 +0000

Teaser:

Men with Mops gives those over 21 with autism a chance at employment.

Body:

Men with Mops gives those over 21 with autism a chance at employment. The New Jersey organization was created in conjunction with Rutgers University's Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center for the Disabled. Men with Mops provides job training and job skills for people with autism who may have social skills issues and communication difficulties. The work includes mowing, snow shoveling, and cleaning. Christopher Manente, co-director of Men with Mops, explains, "The company now has about 80 customers and is manned by 23 autistic men with mostly severe disabilities and pays them minimum wage to mop floors and mow lawns. Each worker is accompanied by a job coach at all times."

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Seven Special Education Success Strategies

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:53:21 +0000

1. Take Responsibility

It's time you take responsibility for your role as your child's voice in their education and of the state their education is in. This does not mean that you are solely responsible for mishaps, but if we are going to move forward with you becoming an equal member of the team, you must know your role.

From this point forward you will be responsible for consciously choosing the most effective action in any special education situation. You will be in charge of increasing your credibility and influence with the team. You will develop behaviors and actions that will not only improve your own effectiveness, but you will strengthen the entire special education team.

2. Create a Mission

Every parent is given a voice in their child's IEP. It's time to use yours effectively and strategically. No longer will you hesitate on your input into the IEP.

It's time to create your child's Education Mission Statement. This will include a clear definition of educational outcomes at the end of their school career. Included in your plan are descriptive qualities of your child's education that will assist them in achieving their outcomes.

3. Plan for Success

Educational success and mastery does not happen by accident. Only using consistent approaches when collaborating with the IEP team will produce results. You must create a systematic approach that works for you in becoming an equal member of the IEP team.

It's time for you to gain a reputation for excellent follow-through and superior input on your child's top educational priorities. By developing and communicating priorities within the IEP, you will see consistent movement and progress towards the desired outcomes.

4. Develop A Winning Strategy

Team collaboration for IEP success is mandatory. Every team member needs to clearly understand both short and long term education goals. Everyday must be a new effort to achieve.

As an equal member of the team, you can find ways to share recognitions of success without fear of diminishing the weaknesses which still need to be addressed. It's time to create effective, long-term professional relationships with the IEP team. With mutual respect between IEP team members, the child wins.

5. Listen, Learn, Teach

It's your turn to listen, learn and teach. Listening to IEP team members with an open-mind to their perspective can bring new insights to your role on the IEP team. Learning from IEP team members will broaden your information for decision making. Teaching the team your knowledge and expertise about your child will keep the focus on your child's unique needs.

Listen, learn and teach are skills which require practice and adjustment within each team. However, when these skills are mastered you will have greater influence to lead your child's IEP team. You also will develop faster problem solving skills.

6. Cooperate

Understanding differences and how the contribute to innovative and better solutions is key to IEP team success. You never will agree with every team member. Your child needs you to develop the skills to cooperate with their team to create a better program education program.

The action of cooperation includes learning how to value other team members, their knowledge and their participation on your child's team. The goal of cooperation is to integrate every team member's best idea. With integrated solutions, a special education program has the potential to be much greater than an individual strategy.

7. Maintain Accountability

Accountability of all team members, including yourself, is key to long-term success. The purpose of your child's IEP, as stated by IDEA, is to prepare for Further Education, Employment and Independent Living. This is not a sprint of learning, but a marathon in life preparation.

By practicing these 7 strategies consistently you will bring your child's education to a higher level than ever imagined.

Precision Education, Inc. www.precisioneducation.com (815) 302-1273 / (800) 432-0170

Coffee Shop & Cafe Hires Workers with Developmental Disabilities

scottie — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:48:09 +0000

Teaser:

The Perk Center Cafe in Glenview Illinois offers people with autism and other developmental disabilities the chance to earn a living.

Body:

The Perk Center Cafe in Glenview Illinois offers people with autism and other developmental disabilities the chance to earn a living. The Cafe resides just inside the door of the Glenview Park Center and was the brain child of Jacob Metrick, whose older sister has autism. Jacob convinced his mom, Gail, to partner with him. Gail explains that jobs at the Cafe are a way for people transitioning from school to the workplace. The workers are paid minimum wage while they learn life and basic job skills. "She's diversifying," Susan Schneider said as she watched [her daughter] Julie stack a new supply of coffee cups. "The more skills she learns, the more capable she'll be to go into a volunteer position or possibly paid employment down the road."

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Use of Vocational Rehabilitative Services Among Adults with Autism

scottie — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:39:57 +0000

Title	Use of Vocational Rehabilitative Services Among Adults with Autism
Publication Type	Journal Article
Authors	Lawer L, Brusilovskiy E, Salzer MS, Mandell DS
Journal Title	Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Year of Publication	2009
Volume	39
Pages	487-494
URL for Abstract	http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18810627?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum
Full Text	With on-the-job support, adults with autism can do well at vocational rehabilitation service jobs. This study looked at job success for adults (18-65 years old) who worked in the U.S. Vocational Rehabilitation Service. There were 382,221 adults in this program in 2005, and 1,707 of them were diagnosed with autism. The adults with autism were given the most expensive support services while working. Intervention included job coaching, follow-up, and job retention services. At the end of their program, 42% of adults with autism were employed in a competitive job, 2% were working in a sheltered setting, and 56% were not employed. Adults with autism had higher success rates than adults with other disabilities. The success of employment was higher with more on-the-job support.