Vocational Training and Autism (Update)

First Ever Program

The Hartford Courant is reporting on a test program being proposed that would offer job training for young adults on the Autism Spectrum.

There's a bill in the Connecticut Legislature that would fund job training for 100 young adults on the Autism Spectrum. The program would be run by The Department of Developmental Service and The Bureau of Rehabilitative Services over a two year period.

Some Challenges

There are several issues the program will need to address. The program will need to hire job coaches who understand the challenges of Autism. Part of the training needs to be in soft skills. Interpersonal interactions could be a weakness for the autistic worker.  And...the program needs to be much larger.

The bill funds a two year pilot program and will offer measurable results.

100 young adults barely scratches the surface. It is estimated there are over 54,000 persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Connecticut. Most adults lack services needed to be employed, and most adults with Autism are unemployed. Jobs are crucial as parents age and are no longer able to care for their adult children.

High Unemployment Rate

A huge majority of adults on the Autism Spectrum are unemployed. Among those with developmental issues, the rate of unemployment. According to an article in Forbes, about 18% have a job and 14% are in college. Yet, over half of those on the spectrum have IQ's that are average or above. If we were to do something about this, many more individuals would be contributing to our society instead of collecting ever decreasing benefits. By focusing on the needs of individuals, Their self-esteem and self-worth would increase, and all of us would benefit.

Autism and Chicken Soup

Understanding Ends Isolation

Being on the Autism Spectrum can be an isolating experience, but it doesn't have to be that way. 

The Chicken Soup for the Soul series now has an Autism Book. The publisher and editor-in-chief of the series Amy Newmark was recently interviewed by WTNH's Jim Watkins. 

"The 101 personal stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum create a portable support group for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. They will see pieces of themselves reflected in the stories by other parents and also by people who have been diagnosed with autism and Asperger syndrome. This book also makes it clear that every child on the spectrum is an individual with a unique set of talents and non-neurotypical behaviors."

The Chicken Soup for the Soul company is now located in Connecticut.

http://wtnh.com/2014/08/03/chicken-soup-for-the-souls-autism-book/

There is no link!

Vaccines do not cause Autism

There is no link. People who continue to assert the link despite decades of evidence to the contrary are putting our children at risk all for the sake of their belief in conspiracies.


The research released in 1998 was falsified and only included 12 cases. Since then there has been a review of actual, rigorous studies. They covered over 14.7 million children finding no vaccine-autism link in any cases, as recently documented by Upworthy in its "All 7 Billion" series about global health and poverty, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.





Graphic by Adam Mordecai & NowSourcing, used under Creative Commons license.

Meanwhile, Measles is on the rise. "Measles cases in the U.S. reached a 20-year high last May. The CDC estimates that in 2013, 92 percent of measles cases occurred in people who weren't vaccinated."

Think of it this way. I drank milk the morning I got laid-off. If I used the logic of the conspiracy theorists about the link between vaccines and Autism...Milk causes layoffs.
For more information, click on this link.  Phony Anti-Vaccine Propaganda Is Killing U.S. Children

Autism Resources

Center in Boise Closes

It takes resources to help people on the spectrum. The Idaho Center for Autism closed its doors because of an issue with resources. The center's director, Stephanie Spencer told KTVB that insurance companies are not required to cover therapy for autism. That means many families are dependent on Medicaid to cover the cost. According to Spencer, how the state covers autism through medicaid has been changing. Students were seeing a therapist two to four hours a week. "It simply is not enough to make progress."

It will be up the schools and parents to pick the slack.

More People Need to Care

This would all change if more people were aware of the need for funding to diversify revenue sources for autism treatment programs like the one in Boise. A starting point would be the realization that contributions to large charities like Autism Speaks do not directly benefit treatment centers like The Idaho Center for Autism.

Wake Up

One in 68 children diagnosed as on the spectrum is the average. In places like New Jersey and Delaware the rates are much higher. School systems cannot keep up. For those who age out of the system...very little help is in place. In some places, insurance is not required to cover the coasts of therapy. The system is being overwhelmed. Wake up! The schools are overburdened and non-profits that specialize in the therapies that offer the chance for children on the spectrum are underfunded. There is no cure. There is no drug to treat autism. 

The example below is just one case of how a school system is bending under the burden. But, it isn't really about the schools. It should be about the children and their families.

Autism surge creates special education teacher shortages

Akron Student with ASD Gets $100k Accomodation

Parents Win Appeal

State Impact is reporting the Akron School Board ok'd a one year accommodation to send a student with Autism Spectrum Disorder to the Monarch School in Cleveland.

Public school pays $101,972 to send Akron student to private school in Cleveland 

The Monarch Center for Autism provides a comprehensive living and learning environment for children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). According to their website, Monarch School and Monarch Boarding Academy are grounded in a language-based treatment Model that is respectful, empowering and kind. The price of a year at the school exceeds $81k which puts it out of reach for most parents. Affordable treatment, therapy and educational accommodations is out of reach for many parents. The average spent by school districts nationwide to educate children with ASD is around $17k per child.

Accommodation Outside the Norm

Schools in Ohio generally give parents $20,000 a year if they want to take their children with Autism out of public school to help with costs. In this case, the parents appealed. The Akron district settled. Assistant Superintendent Ellen McWilliams told the Akron Beacon Journal., “You have to look at whether it’s good to continue fighting or not.” She says that in most cases, the schools are equipped to meet the needs of special needs children.

The accommodation is for one year, but could be renewed until the child ages out of the school system at age 22.

Hiring Autism

Disappointing Statistics

• The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found  that only half (53%) of young adults with an ASD had ever worked for pay outside the home in the first 8 years following high school, the lowest rate among disability groups even when controlling for impairment severity, household income, and social demographics.
• The same study found only 34% were employed at the time of the survey interview.
• And one in five worked full-time with average earnings of $8.10/hour, significantly lower than disability comparison groups. (The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

Despite the disparities, there are some gains. Some companies are seeking out mostly high functioning individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The numbers are small when you consider about 50,000 young adults age out of the support system each year. Much more needs to be done to support these gifted individuals.

  Some See the Light

There are some companies that are going out of there way to hire those with ASD. Below are some examples.

SAP Labs announced they will hire 60 persons with ASD as part of their initiative to employ one percent of their workforce with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Headquartered in Walldorf, Germany, with locations in more than 130 countries, SAP SE calls itself a world leader in enterprise software and software-related services.

 Extraordinary Ventures employs young men and women with autism and other developmental disabilities. They create jobs and fund our programs through our space rental business as well as laundry services and other ventures. Based in the university town of Chapel Hill, NC, Extraordinary Ventures, Inc. (EV) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization that creates and nurtures self-sustaining small businesses designed around the skills of the young adults with autism and developmental disabilities that serve as its workforce.

Some with ASD are entrepreneurs. Temple Grandin, a well-known Autism advocate says, "autistic people can become business owners if they're allowed to develop interests that can be turned into a living." Grandin has a business designing systems to handle livestock. She became interested in animals working on a farm in her teens.

  Ultra Testing almost exclusively hires employees who are on the autism spectrum. ULTRA provides a full suite   of manual testing services for websites, digital campaigns, mobile applications and enterprise solutions. According the Ultra's website, over a third of the ASD population, approximately 500,000 adults, have Asperger Syndrome or similar ASD profiles, have completed high school and/or college, and can have heightened abilities including those required to be an exceptional software tester, e.g. pattern recognition, focus, attention to detail, tolerance for repetition. However, due to a combination of factors including difficulties with social interactions and interpersonal communications, 80% of this population are currently not employed. Using cutting-edge tools, specialized training and customized workflows, ULTRA is unlocking the potential of this vast, untapped talent pool, and in doing so, bringing excellence to the software testing industry.

ASD Teen Wins Jeopardy Playoff!

Jeff Xie is the new teen champion for Jeopardy. He did it in a first ever tie-breaker for the tournament.

Jeff will use his $75,000 prize for college and to do a little travel.

Eight Things You Should Know About Autism

Some Things You Should Know

Columnist Dan Tynan shares eight things you should know about Autism in YAHOO Tech in his article "Eight Things You Ought to Know About Autism (but might not)." Gaining understanding about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) can be an uphill battle. As a fundraiser for FOCUS Center for Autism I've run into roadblocks. But, when we get a chance to speak about ASD and share the stories about the children we treat at the Extended Day Treatment Program, those barriers often come down. FOCUS Center for Autism is Tynan breaks down some of the barriers and challenges other long-held "truths."

Controversial Comments

Four of his comments are controversial. I happen to think that's a good thing. The comments will further the discussion and cause those of us in the autism community to dig deeper for answers.

It’s kind of a geek thing. 

The saying goes, "If you meet one person with Autism, you've met one person with Autism. To be sure, some of the kids are geeky. Some of them are not. It would be just as valid to say that some of us not on the spectrum are geeky. If you've ever been to the Spectrum Unplugged Panel you are going to find children and young adults who love writing poetry, a proficiency in math and science, a love of reading, an interest in comparative religion, creating comics, playing instruments and song-writing.

But it’s not an epidemic.

If you look at the strict definition of Epidemic, Tynan is right.  Epidemic; a widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community at a particular time. This definition would be more appropriate to measles and polio. It might be more appropriate to say diagnosis of ASD has reached epidemic proportions.

It is not caused by vaccines.

The original report linking the MMR Vacine to Autism published in the Lancet was found to be a fraud. Since then the independent Institute of Medicine concluded in August 2011 that the use of vaccines — particularly the measles mumps rubella (MMR) vaccine routinely given to children under the age of 6 — has no relationship to the rise in ASD cases. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a similar report in April 2013.

It can’t be cured.

This is sure to cause controversy certain circles. Major fundraising efforts are based on finding a cure. Tynan explains, "In fact, some autism advocates bristle at the notion that ASD is a condition in need of a cure. Others in the ASD community are desperate for a solution to the daily struggles of their autistic offspring. But while autism isn't a disease that can be cured, it is a disorder that can be treated."

What FOCUS Does

FOCUS Center for Autism’s mission is to help children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders achieve their full potential. Since becoming a nonprofit in 2000, FOCUS has developed a well-respected Milieu Therapy model of treatment that has now served over 600 children and families.
With an emphasis on planned environments (milieu), and relationship building, FOCUS helps address the many challenges children, and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders are confronted with every day.

Autism Bill Proposed in Massachusetts

Update

The bill passed the Massachusetts House 151-0.According to masslive.com the bill "would also expand eligibility for developmental services to individuals with IQs higher than 70, a current rule that Bradley said excludes many people with autism who have other developmental challenges they must overcome."

A Greater Need

The increasing diagnosis of Autism among children is moving some legislators in Massachusetts to increase services. WCVB in Boston is reporting a bill is being proposed to develop training for schools and  teachers. The bill would also provide tax exempt savings account for extended care needs.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo says in a statement, "I believe this bill is the next, crucial step to make Massachusetts the leader in caring for residents confronting autism,"

Read more: http://www.wcvb.com/health/proposed-autism-bill-to-develop-training-for-schools-teachers/25479152#ixzz2yxnMeSg9

Serving Adults

In an acknowledgement that supports are needed for individuals on the spectrum after they age out of the school system, the bill would expand eligibility for IQ-based state programs to adults with Autism.

The bill is scheduled to be debated Wednesday.

Offering Hope  

At the FOCUS Center for Autsim we provide therapy for children and young adults on the spectrum on a daily basis. We're serving over 80 children and young adults a week. That only scratches the surface. It is estimated there are over 51,000 persons on the spectrum in Connecticut alone. For many families the cost of care is out of reach. More children will be diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder than AIDS, cancer, and diabetes combined. Intervention and treatment offer hope for the parents and a sense of belonging among the children we serve.

Autism, Like Race, Complicates Almost Everything

Autism...like race complicates everything...

There's an interesting and revealing essay by Alicia Montgomery about her experience caring for her Autistic son. Her situation is complicated by the fact that she and her son are African American. Her fear is her son's lack of social graces will get him in trouble. When her son acts out in anger...she fears he will become the next Travon Martin.

Through it all she feels lucky because of her support system but wonders about those who do not have support. Treatment is expensive and the costs most often fall entirely on the parents.

Check out her story and what she has been able to accomplish with her Autistic son at the NPR blog site
Frontiers of Race, Culture and Ethnicity.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2014/04/12/301814519/autism-like-race-complicates-almost-everything

Autism Discovery a Game Changer

Researcher have found that most forms of Autism may have their origins in utero. CBS news reported today results from a study from the National Institute of Health and the Allen Institute for Brain Science in Seattle. The study found Clusters of disorganized brain cells in tissue samples from brain regions important for regulating social functioning, emotions and communication.

According to a paper published on Wednesday, March 27 in the New England Journal of Medicine. The findings suggest brain abnormalities in children with autism can be traced back to prenatal development.

There will be more research in this direction but, the findings further debunks the already discredited research that attempted to link childhood vaccines and Autism. The discovery could mean that intervention to develop new pathways in the brain can start in the first year of a child's life.

Check out the report here.  For children with autism, brain abnormalities may begin in utero

Autism and Diagnosis Anxiety

Update: The date of the FOCUS Center for Autism Unplugged Panel at Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted, Connecticut is being moved to April 17th. It will be at the same time and place. The Panel presentation is from 6:30p to 8:30p.

Why parents shouldn't worry so much about regressive autism.

There's a lot of fear and anxiety among parents that their child might be diagnosed with Autism. Does the increased awareness of the disorder drive this? It might. Awareness should not only FOCUS on fundraising for a cure, but also on hope because there are many people who are willing to help. There are organizations who are treating the disorder so children on the spectrum can reach their full potential. Jennifer Richler wrote for Slate about Regressive Autism. Awareness about Regressive Autism increased after Ron Suskind’s essay in the New York Times Magazine about raising a son with autism: “Reaching My Autistic Son Through Disney.” Suskind's son Owen was diagnosed with Regressive Autism.

"Suskind describes how, at almost 3 years of age, his son Owen “disappeared.” The child was once “engaged, chatty, full of typical speech,” but then he stopped talking, lost eye contact, even struggled to use a sippy cup."

Richler says Regressive Autism is very rare. Because of the prevalence of Autism, parents are fearing the worst. She says Owen's story is really one of compassion and hope because of the involvement of his parents and engaged therapists.

Find Out More At The Unplugged Panel
Through treatment and therapy, children on the Autism Spectrum will surprise you with what they can accomplish. If you want to find out more...FOCUS Center for Autism will hold an Unplugged Panel at Northwestern Connecticut Community College in Winsted, Connecticut. The Autism Spectrum Unplugged travels statewide to schools, businesses and public venues to talk about their experiences of living with Autism. They have enlightened and educated over 100 audiences from Connecticut to Massachusetts and beyond. The Panel is Thursday, April 3rd at NCCC. It's free. You might want to reserve your space.
Call FOCUS at 860 693-8809.

Tablets Can Help Teens on the Autism Spectrum

A new study from UNC-Chapel Hill touts the value of Tablets as a teaching tool for Teens on the Spectrum.
The study focuses on teaching independence to high school students with Autism. According to Kara Hume, a researcher at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, “It’s clear that teaching independence to students with autism should be a central focus of their activities in high school.”

Independence is the biggest indicator of which students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are likely to live on their own, have a job, and participate in their communities after high school.

The full report is published in Remedial and Special Education.

The Clinical Educational Staff at the FOCUS Center for Autism employs this technology with the Children in the FOCUS Extended Day Treatment Program. They would like to expand it. We're in the process of looking for funding to acquire new iPads.

We'll need your help in acquiring the funds. Have any thoughts? Leads? A willingness to help?

Autism Growth - Delaware's Epidemic

Working with autism: Milford schools aim to boost education, awareness of growing population











There are two statistics that stand out in an article published by The Milford Beacon.

• The increase is diagnosis over the past 20 years is 600% nationally.
• The increase in diagnosis over the past 20 years in Delaware is 695%!

Milford Over Represented
The Milford, Delaware School District has identified 24 students on the spectrum. According to the 2010 Census, Milford has about 1600 school age children. At the rate of one in 88 they should have 18 children on the Spectrum.

Like many districts across the country, Milford is struggling to keep up. They have four teachers certified to work with Autistic children.  Right now they're working to make all of their teachers aware of the special nature of these children. The focus is on awareness. The hope is to expand treatment. Milford also hopes to keep these children inside their system.

Young Adults on the Spectrum Need Support in College

Emma Nicholson's posting in the Huffington Post about her son's trials at Community College bring up the need for support and advocacy for our children once they get past high school. Her son's experience left him bewildered and afraid to go back to school.

Advocating for Your College Student With Autism

Nicholson concludes:

Transitioning to a self-advocating adult takes time for any child. To expect students with autism to miraculously and suddenly be able to do this without extra support will guarantee the failure of many. I believe a series of support programs should be introduced as part of the college curriculum giving students with disabilities the time and guidance they need to fully prepare for self-advocacy. With time, practice, and a helpful hand, students with disabilities can not only learn to speak up for themselves but learn how to appropriately handle difficult situations they may encounter in life.

Please take the time to read this article. It is offered not to discourage...but to make us aware of the challenges ahead. The accommodations of Section 504 may need our intervention to be enforced.

A report in the Hartford Courant yesterday reported that 40% of the children put in restraints or isolation in Connecticut's schools are diagnosed with Autism.
Report: Autistic Children Restrained Most Often In School

Is it lack of training and lack of resources that leads to the need for restraint?

The needs of these children do not fit neatly into categories. The needs are as individual as each child. When we were going through the school system we had more than one teacher tell us they simply did not have the time to deal with our autistic child. Yet state law required them to attend to his educational needs. Fortunately, he did not need restraint. Two things helped him immensely. We enrolled him in FOCUS Center for Autism where he started to learn social skills and make friends. It was a place outside school...away from the bullies. The school system came through for him after his senior year with their Achieve program. They too worked on social skills and life skills. 

The report seems to imply that it is just easier to isolate and restrain. I hope I am wrong.

Can We Talk?

I think there is a need for dialog and action.

I am interested in your thoughts. Is it better to try to fit these children into norms? Is it better to actually develop individual plans so these children can reach their full potential? Are the school systems in this fractured state able to provide the resources needed or, will it take something larger like regional, state or federal resources?

Year End Appeal - The need continues.

In an organization that is focused on treatment for children on the Autism Spectrum, it might be hard to imagine that something as simple as transportation could stand in the way.

At FOCUS...we're like most non-profits. We put out an appeal letter and a couple of email blasts trying to garner donations. Beyond the messages we sent there's a real need. Transportation costs are very high.

We bring our clients to and from our Extended Day Treatment Program in Canton, Connecticut. For some of the kids, the costs are covered by the state. For others, parents cover the costs. For some of our families the cost can be a barrier. They simply cannot afford it. We're hoping , to raise awareness of the need to cover these expenses. Consistent care and treatment is so important to these children.  If they have difficulty attending because of resources...treatment is set back. Let me rephrase. They're progress is set back. The continuum of treatment is interrupted.

You can help!
The cost for the entire transportation program is over $10,000. The cost per client (their share) is about $900.
Send a donation now.

Early Signs of Autism

Lack of eye contact may be first sign of autism in infants


This story, reported by CBS News, will be interesting to follow. Many believe there is a link between Autism and the MMR vaccines. If the diagnosis predates the vaccines are the vaccines eliminated as a cause for Autism? The American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, the World Health Organization, and the Institute of Medicine all agree that there's probably no relationship between autism and vaccines. Many parents believe otherwise. Their evidence is anecdotal. What happens to the anecdotal evidence if Autism can be diagnosed before the vaccines are administered?

Life on the Spectrum - The FOCUS Spectrum Unplugged

Dispelling Preconceptions about Autism

Recently FOCUS Spectrum Unplugged presented a panel at SEPTO in Willington.  The mission of the unplugged panels is to help give people a greater understanding of what it is like for families on the Spectrum.  Since 2004 and with over 100 presentations under their belt the FOCUS “panel of experts” has wowed educators, students, service providers, business and community groups all over Connecticut and Massachusetts. This panel consists of current FOCUS students, alumni and staff who are all on the Autism Spectrum. Led by Donna Swanson our FOCUS Executive Director the panel is an open and honest discussion about what life with autism is really like. Panel members clearly describe their school experiences, their difficulty with relationships and their feelings of isolation and loneliness. They are also quick to relate to educators’ and service providers which approaches and techniques worked and which did not. The panel is always enthusiastically received and is responsible for providing awareness and hope to thousands of children and families and for raising the consciousness of many concerning this growing disorder.

Yesterday the FOCUS Spectrum Unplugged spoke at the SEPTO in Willington. It was a very long day but we love to be together. The audience was so attentive and interactive. The panel was the same members as last year as were some of the attendees who could not believe the changes and growth in the panel. What impresses me the most is not only their growth but the fact that this growth is apparent and happening at the same time that each panel member is going through some very difficult life changes. The message here is there is hope even when life throws us a curve ball if we are surrounded by support and people who believe in us. So proud of all of FOCUS..kids, families and staff..WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN TOGETHER! Donna Swanson, founder and executive director.

Success SEPTO is to works within our local communities to encourage school districts, legislators, and families to work together. The organization strives to understand, support, and enhance education, and provide greater opportunities for children with special needs. They serve Ashford, Mansfield, Stafford, Tolland, Willington and other surrounding towns in Northeast Connecticut.

FOCUS Center for Autism is a grassroots, community-based nonprofit whose mission is helping children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders achieve their full potential. FOCUS Center for Autism became a non-profit organization in 2000. It began as an after-school program and a camp in the summers for children and adolescents on the Autism Spectrum and, is now an intensive and growing clinical continuum of care. In 2009 FOCUS expanded its Extended Day Treatment Program to include the morning hours and to offer a Clinical Education Program that targets children who are having a difficult experience in their traditional school setting. This program coupled with our After School Program offers a comprehensive clinical model that promotes social, emotional and academic growth. The FOCUS Extended Day Treatment Program has developed into a well respected community-based model of treatment that has now served over 500 children.