Adolescents and Adults with Autism: Supporting a Life in the Community

1. Adolescents and Adults with Autism: Supporting a Life in the Community Gloria Satriale, Esq. Community Coordinator/Transition Specialist Preparing Adolescents for Adult Life (PAAL); Chair, Chester County Department MH/MR Advisory Board; Parent Peter F. Gerhardt, President Organization for Autism Research

2. “I continue to be amazed that you function as an independent adult.” Jim Sack

3. Preparing Adolescents for Adult Life: The PAAL Program

4. “If you meet one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism.” Stephen Shore • “PAAL is not one program but multiple programs, one for each student. The community is their classroom” Gloria Satriale

5. Why PAAL Exists… • Dearth of functionally relevant transition services nationwide • Continued reports of poor social and employment outcomes for adults on the spectrum • Limited professional interest in older learners • With a growing cohort of adolescents with autism there is a DIRE need to develop more, and more effective, transition programs • Parents of these individuals are committed to expanding effective options for their children • Subsequently, there is a need for highly trained staff to work with older learners • To involve the community shareholders in the lives of PAAL’s students

6. Life in the Community

7. Or in other words… Neurotypical World Autism World

8. AUTISM NT There is a perception that the only acceptable outcome is for the person with ASD to be indistinguishable from the NT “Standard of Behavior”

9. That is, at best, an inefficient use of everyone’s time. Instead: “NT” “ASD” In this area of overlap lies interdependence and this is where the greatest potential for the development of employment services and supports for both worlds can be accomplished

10. Skill Sets Have Three Parts

11. “If you NTs have all the skills, why don’t you adapt for awhile?” Donna Vickers Real community inclusion, it seems, will require the remediation of some significant skill deficits in the neurotypical world along with evidence-based instruction in the ASD world.

12. Society-at-Large • Physical Match • Employer • The Individual • Co-Workers • Social Match • Program Resources • The Family • Navigation Match A few of the relevant factors…

13. Society-at-Large • Accept the individual as a contributing member of the community • Avoid “feeling sorry” for the individual. • Empower the individual • Accept the “gifts” the person has to offer • Respect the person as any employed adult in a job that is job socially significant, of value to the community, and personally fulfilling/significant for the individual?

14. A (final) true story…

16. Today… • His is supported as an adult at less than 1/3 the cost of his educational program • He volunteers at the food bank • He regularly goes out to restaurants for a sit down lunch • Regularly exercises in the community (walking) 2-3 times per week • He works with a wide number of staff with whom he feels comfortable • In 2006 he was selected as Elk of the Year.  He is well liked by all the Elks members!!!!

17. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world” Mahatma Gandhi

18. Thank you!