RCN Community Partners Meeting

WELCOME RCN Community Partners Meeting

Who is here today? • Introductions!

Agenda for Today • START Project / Learning History • Outcomes / Goals of START Transition Priority • START Support to Transition • Data Review and Action Plan

Purpose of START START serves as a coordinating and supporting entity for schools across the state of Michigan to increase access to local resources, training and support for students with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

START Primary Components

History Lesson • TRAINING—understanding of ASD • Improve practices / opportunities K-12 • COACHING—increase implementation • Caught up in coaching / not outcomes • Systems Change • Focus on outcomes • What ARE the outcomes????

What are Postsecondary Outcomes? • Access to Higher Education • Social Opportunities • Independent Living • Competitive Employment

Competitive Employment • Definitions: • Michigan Rehabilitation Services • OSEP / Michigan Department of Education • Competitive Employment (START): • Full or part-time • An integrated setting (with individuals who are non-disabled) • Compensation at or above the minimum wage not less then the customary wage and level of benefits paid by the employer for the same or similar work performed by individuals who are not disabled. • Worked at least 90 days (cumulative) • May be supported through agency accommodations

TRANSITION DATA • A University of Wisconsin-Madison 2002 study of 405 adolescents and adults with ASD found that: • 10% were in competitive employment • The lack of social skills and social understanding has been cited as a primary cause of unemployment or under-employment for many otherwise skilled individuals on the autism spectrum. • Barnard, et.al. 2001 • As few as 6% of individuals with ASD have fulltime employment • 12% of individuals with Asperger Syndrome are employed despite having average or high than average IQs • MICHIGAN (2006-07)—61 Ss • w/ ASD • 19.7% competitively employed • All Ss w/ IEP • 30.1% competitively employed

State of the State • DESPITE--Average cost in Michigan to educate a student with ASD? • Solve the problem: • 1:10,000 • 1:5000 • 1:91

START Transition Goals • Address State Rules re: Post High Programming (ex. Pupil Accounting) • Identify the components of effective post-high programs for students with ASD • Develop corporate offices human resources connections

START Support to Transition • Regional Collaborative Networks / School Connections • Knowledge of ASD • Peer to Peer Support Systems • Processes for Implementation • IEP Development and Implementation • Implementation Matrices (link) • Coaching Model • Evidence-based Practices

Research Support for Practices

Resources for EBPs in ASD • NPDC: http://www.fpg.unc.edu/~autismpdC/ • OCALI: http://www.ocali.org/ • Autism Internet Modules • National Standards Project: http://www.nationalautismcenter.org • Georgia State: EIC – ASD (Enhancing Instructional Contexts for Students with ASD) • http://education.gsu.edu/autism/index.htm • Association for Science in ASD Treatment http://www.asatonline.org • Scroll Down and Click: • “How do I know if a specific treatment will work?

Data will Drive….. • Future practice in transition for students with ASD….. • Future allocation of funds for students with ASD…. • IMPROVED OUTCOMES for students with ASD

Secondary and Postsecondary Outcomes of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Annotated Bibliography,Dr. Dawn Hendricks, Virginia Commonwealth University, and April Mustian, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. “While some individuals with ASD are successful, most are faced with significant obstacles in multiple areas as they attempt to negotiate their way into college, work, and the community. With expanded interest in services for youth with ASD, there is a critical need to assess what we know currently about their transition to adulthood.”

Key Goal for Year One Collect information regarding employment status, ongoing education, living arrangements and reciprocal community involvement for students with ASD who have graduated, aged out, or exited the public education environment.

The job may seem huge! • Why do WE have to do this? • Can’t someone else do this? • Didn’t someone else already do this? • Wouldn’t you think someone else should have done this?

This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.Winston S. Churchill

Once we have the data…. What are we going to DO about it to meet these goals? • Access to Higher Education • Social Opportunities • Independent Living • Competitive Employment

Community Partners • Preparing the community is as important, if not MORE important, than preparing the student…. • Community members with NO INTRODUCTION to ASD will be ill-equipped to • Embrace the tremendous talents of individuals with ASD • To understand and support the needs of individuals with ASD,

THE ULTIMATE GOAL

Discussion / Facilitation

RCN Community Partners Meeting