Transition to Adulthood for Students with ASD
Adolescence is a difficult period in any person's life. It is a time of great physical, cognitive, and emotional development. Adolescents must learn to deal with an ever increasing complexity of social experiences. Transitioning into adulthood can be intimidating; however, there are resources to help families, professionals, and the individual with ASD navigate the transition successfully!
VCU Autism Center for Excellence Resources
Webcasts
In Their Own Words: The Career Planning Experiences of College Students with ASD
Progressing Through Transition
In My Own Words: My Life with Asperger's Syndrome
Transition for Youth with Autism from School to Adulthood: Critical Considerations
Asperger's Syndrome and the Transition to Adulthood: Considerations for Success
An Extra Ordinary Life: Using Person Centered Planning
A Successful Employment Experience for Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome: What it Takes
Supporting Adults with ASD in the Workplace Using Behavior Supports
Asperger Syndrome and Employment
Sexuality Instruction and Learners with ASD
My Journey to Self-determination
The Three T's of Transition: Tools for the Transition Process
Seminar
Autism Spectrum Disorder and Employment
Guides and Fact Sheets
The challenges associated with the transition from school services to adulthood for individuals with autism are well documented. Every individual with autism is different and as a result, there is no "one size fits all" plan for the path to adulthood. The Community Based Skills Assessment (PDF), (Word) uses both a criterion-based observation and interview-based process to measure the individual's knowledge, skills and behaviors.
Autism Speaks has developed two tools to help adolescents in their transition to adulthood. The Transition Toolkit was created to serve as a guide to assist families on this journey and covers the topics of self-advocacy, transition plans, community living, employment options, housing, legal matters, and more. The Postsecondary Educational Opportunities Guide is designed to help individuals with ASD and their families explore the different opportunities and learning environments after leaving school.
A presentation of the preliminary results of a randomized clinical trial of Project SEARCH plus ASD Supports (PDF), (Word) on the employment outcomes for youth with ASD between the ages of 18 to 21 years of age provides compelling evidence that employment upon graduation from high school is achievable for youth with ASD who also display challenging behavior and have co-morbid medical diagnoses.
The Virginia Department of Education has developed a document on transition, "Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Transition to Adulthood," that includes important information on transition assessment and planning, adult services, postsecondary education, employment, home living skills, and Social Security and benefits planning.
OCALI has a series of guides on transition to adulthood including age appropriate assessment, employment, IEP transition information, and school age programming.
Adult Autism and Employment: A Guide for Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals was written by Scott Standifer Ph.D. at the University of Missouri in 2009.
Barbara Bissonnette, Principal of Forward Motion, has written several guides on employment that can be downloaded at no charge from the Forward Motion Website.
Autism Victoria in Australia has published an information sheet on "Puberty and Autism Spectrum Disorder."
Videos and Training
The Social Group II (2012) is a documentary / thesis project about a group of teenagers with high functioning autism who have been meeting every Friday for the past 10 years.
Project SEARCH has posted a video on the origin of the project at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.
NPR has posted a story on careers for people with ASD, "Young Adults with Autism can Thrive in High-Tech Jobs (April 22, 2013).
YouTube has published Part 1 of 3 videos on "Living with Asperger's" (February 23, 2013).
The Autistic Global Initiative (AGI) Residential/Daily Living Support Course provides parents, siblings, family members, in-home support workers, agency support providers, and volunteers from the community the foundational knowledge, competencies, and tools necessary to support the daily living needs of transition aged students, young adults, and adults with ASD.
Other Websites
Center on Transition Innovations (CTI) provides information, resources, demonstration and research on pathways to employment that support youth with disabilities to gain access to integrated competitive employment to the fullest extent possible.
The I'm Determined project focuses on providing direct instruction, models, and opportunities to practice skills associated with self-determined behavior. This project facilitates youth, especially those with disabilities to undertake a measure of control in their lives, helping to set and steer the course rather than remaining the silent passenger.
The Going-to-College website contains information about living college life with a disability.
ACE-IT in College is a collaborative effort between the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center and the Partnership for People with Disabilities in the VCU School of Education. ACE-IT in College provides an inclusive, on campus, college experience for young adults with intellectual disabilities.
The Autism Helphas an extensive section on the teen years including information about puberty, sexuality, managing masturbation, and hygiene
Autism After 16 is a new website for individuals with ASD and the families and professionals who support them. It includes extensive information about transition, postsecondary life, employment, housing, finance, health, and more. Autism After 16 also has a webpage designed specifically for those living in Virginia. The Virginia Roadmap includes a four step process with links and various resources for the transitioning adolescent with ASD.
VCU ASD Career Links is a collaborative initiative between VCU and the Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services (DRS). The primary target population for this research is individuals with ASD, with an emphasis on youth and young adults.
Project SEARCH provides employability skills training and workplace internships for individuals with significant disabilities, particularly youth transitioning from high school to adult life.
The VCU-RRTC is currently involved in a Research Study using the Project SEARCH model in an exclusive program for students with autism. More information can be found on the VCU-ACE website on "A Collaborative Public/Private Employment Training and Placement Model for Transition Age Youth with ASD."
Some adolescents with ASD may need significant help handling the intensity of their emotions during adolescence and may also face depression and thoughts of suicide. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free and confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For those that need immediate help, please call 1-800-273-8255.
The Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (CSESA) is a research and development project funded by the U.S. Department of Education that focused on developing, adapting, and studying a comprehensive school- and community-based education program for high school students on the autism spectrum.