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YAI New York Success in Adulthood Creating a Successful Transition to Adulthood: Options to Consider From Challenges to Strengths Stephen Shore, Ed.D [email protected] autismasperger.net Central Coherence – Hyperfocusing What are the differences between the picture on the top from the one on the bottom? • What is this a picture of? • What is the animal in the foreground? • What color is the animal behind the first one? • How many animals are in the row closest to us? 2 The 3 A’s of Autism What steps will you take to climb the stairs of Awareness, Acceptance, and Appreciation of people with differences in your lives? APPRECIATION ACCEPTANCE AWARENESS 3 EXAMINING THE PARAMETERS Questions to ask regarding possible areas of success How does the s/he spend most of their time? Reframe Abilities? • Communication Interests? • Socialization Kind of Mind? • Restricted Interests Characteristics? Match to Ad/vocational Possibilities 4 EXAMINING THE PARAMETERS Turning Lead into Gold Thomas Armstrong, 1989, p. 128 A child who is judged to be: Can also be considered: Learning disabled Learning different Hyperactive A kinesthetic learner Dyslexic A spatial learner Aggressive Assertive Plodding Thorough Lazy Relaxed Immature Late blooming Phobic Cautious Scattered Divergent Daydreaming Imaginative Irritable Sensitive Preservative Persistent 5 A little about me… 6 A LITTLE ABOUT ME Introduction WHERE DOES AUTISM COME FROM? The TheAutism Autism Bomb Bomb — NOT Where oh where did this autism come from? Loss of speech Environmental & withdrawal Oh where oh where tantrums can it be? With mysteries cut long and eye contact cut short? Oh where oh where can be from? Self-stims 7 Reframing Characteristics — Looking for Strengths Robert – Transportation information to lost patrons at Penn Station Characteristics Employment Implications Communication Detailed, factual, data-driven, truthful, repetitive, repetitive, repetitive Social Interaction Limited and predictable Restricted All information is memorized – his Interests coworkers need references Because this individual has autism… He outperforms his typical coworkers 8 A CLOSER LOOK AT MY PLACEMENT ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM — 4 AGE 0 1.5 2.5 4 6 8 10 13 19 Typical Autism Putnam E evaluation of develop- bomb hits atypical Enter Putnam ment Withdrawal development, V Turn over at from strong autistic tendencies & 8 days environment psychotic Condition improves to “neurotic” E Rapid Tantrums Early physical and intervention motor from parents N who refute The wonderful world of watch motors develop- recommendati ment ons for T removal from Echolalia and return of speech home S Self Awareness Eating baby food 9 WHEN DOES TRANSITION TO EMPLOYMENT BEGIN? Possible “Jobs” Around the House Federally mandated transition age: 1616 10 Preparing for Employment Success 11 INITIAL PREPARATION FOR EMPLOYMENT Possible “Jobs” Around the House 12 INITIAL PREPARATION FOR EMPLOYMENT Possible “Jobs” Around the House Repetition Proficiency Responsibility 13 A CLOSER LOOK AT MY PLACEMENT ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM — 8 AGE 0 1.5 2.5 4 6 8 10 13 19 Typical Autism Putnam Enter Kinder- E develop- bomb hits evaluation Putnam garten Cracking rocks ment of atypical Withdrawal Condition Social & Turn over at from developme improves to academic V 8 days nt, strong “ ” environment autistic neurotic difficulties Special interests in Rapid Tantrums tendencies The Discovered E physical and & psychotic wonderful making a astronomy and weather motor Early world of mess of develop- watch myself ment intervention N from motors while eating BBQ Teacher concerns for parents who Echolalia refute chicken and return wings T recommend of speech reading and math ations for Loved cats removal Eating but dogs… difficulties S from home baby food Interests and StrengthsYikes bikes! 14 FURTHER PREPARATION FOR EMPLOYMENT Repetition, Proficiency, Responsibility, Customer Service 15 FURTHER PREPARATION FOR EMPLOYMENT Repetition, Proficiency, Responsibility, Customer Service Repetition Proficiency Responsibility Customer Service 16 S P E C I A L I N T E R E S T S An interest of such great intensity that it interferes with daily functioning1. S O M E S P E C I A L I N T E R E S T S2 airplanes astronomy bicycles earthquakes medicine chemistry mechanics electricity electronics computers hardware tools psychology music rocks geology geography locks cats dinosaurs watches shiatsu yoga autism 1. Attwood, A. (1998). Aspergers Syndrome. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 2. Shore, S. (2001). Beyond the wall: Personal experiences with autism and Asperger Syndrome. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Company. 17 SETTING THE STAGE FOR EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS THROUGH AWARENESS OF STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES 18 FINDING YOUR OWN PREFERENCES Likes & Dislikes Strengths √√ √ Math√ Gym Read- ing √√ Read- Math√ Gym ing Challenges 19 FINDING YOUR OWN COGNITIVE PREFERENCES Likes & Dislikes What types of topics, subjects in What types of topics, subjects in school, or tasks at work do you school, or tasks at work do you LIKE and find easy and DISLIKE find difficult to do? enjoyable to do? __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 20 FINDING YOUR OWN SOCIO-EMOTIONAL PREFERENCES Likes & Dislikes What social and leisure activities What social and leisure activities do do you like and find easy to do? you dislike and find harder to do? __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 21 MOVING BEYOND PREFERENCES: The Importance of: Interests & Strengths People are usually INTERESTED in things they are GOOD at. What types of things, subjects in Which of these things are you school, or tasks do you find also GOOD at? INTERESTING? __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ 22 The Importance of: Interests & Strengths People are usually INTERESTED in things they are GOOD at. Which of these things are you also GOOD at? These are your __________________________ __________________________ STRENGTHS! __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ You can use these __________________________ strengths to help __________________________ __________________________ you in school and __________________________ __________________________ beyond. __________________________ __________________________ 23 KEEPING IT STRONG 24 Reframing Characteristics — Looking for Strengths José – Accurate sorting of passenger baggage to correct locations Characteristics Employment Implications Communication Receptive > Expressive, 2-3 word commands rather than conversation, literal Social Interaction Limited and predictable Restricted All airport code information is memorized – Interests his coworkers need references Because this individual has autism… He outperforms his typical coworkers 25 Reframing Characteristics — Looking for Strengths Name______________ School Task/Activity________________ Strengths What can you use them for? _______________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ _______________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ _______________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ Because of your characteristics… YOU might even outperform others! 26 Effective Self- Advocacy Through Personal Awareness What does it mean to me to have… 27 F O U R S T E P S T O D I S C LO S U R E Self-Determination —> Disclosure —> Self-Advocacy 1. Awareness of strengths and 4. Present the label Making challenges through verbal, summarizing a one’s needs pictorial, and other condition rather known in a communication. then a name for way that a set of deficits. others can understand and enables 2. “Rack up” strengths and them to challenges. provide support. 3.
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