• Academic Supports for College Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Advice from Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Teachers Regarding Literacy Instruction
• Advice for Peer Tutors
• Applying the Ziggurat and CAPS Model in Your School District
• Aspects of Support for Learning
• A Young Adult's Guide to Deep Breathing as a Relaxation Technique: A Personalized Fact Sheet
• Can Schedule Usage Training Include Elements of Literacy Instruction?
• Clean Up Your Act! Creating an Organized Classroom Environment for Students on the Spectrum.
• Change is Good! Supporting Students on the Autism Spectrum when Introducing Novelty
• Classroom Choreography: The Art of Scheduling Staff and Students
• Complexities of Instructional Support
• Creating a Circle of Support
• Critical Features of Early Intervention: Merging Best Practices
• Developing Long Term Relationships Between School and Parents
• Early Intervention for Young Children on the Autism spectrum: Parent’s Perspective
• Educating Students with Autism: Are There Differences in Placement?
• Establishing Long Term Goals: What Are We Hoping to Achieve
• For General Education Teachers: Helpful Questions to Ask About Students with ASD
• Get Engaged: Designing Instructional Activities to Help Students Stay On-Task
• "Ham It Up and Get It Cookin!!" Thoughts From Dr. Greenspan
• Home-School Communication
• "I Can Do It Myself!" Using Work Systems to Build Independence in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders
• “I Wake Up for MY Dream!” Personal Futures Planning Circles of Support, MAPS and PATH
• Life After High School...So Now What
• Literacy Resources
• Lovaas Revisited: Should We Have Ever Left?
• Making the Most of Morning Meeting
• Motivating Students Who Have Autism Spectrum Disorders
• Moving from Preschool to Kindergarten: Planning for a Successful Transition and New Relationships
• Peer Support Programs
• Promoting the Educational Success of Students with Autism: The Role of the Parent-Staff Relationship
• Planning for Successful Transitions Across Grade Levels
• Practical Steps to Writing Individualized Education Program (IEP) Goals: And Writing Them Well
• Practical Recommendations for Utilizing a Range of Instructional Approaches in General Education Settings
• Recognizing Different Types of Readers with ASD
• Reframing Our Thinking and Getting to Know the Child
• Restricted Repertoires in Autism and What We Can Do About It
• School Cultures that Support Students Across the Autism Spectrum
• Service Learning: Something to Think About
• Supporting Staff Using Coaching Model
• Supporting Students with Asperger's Syndrome
• Teaching Students Who Are Low-Functioning: Who Are They and What Should We Teach?
• Theory of Mind in Autism: Development, Implications, and Intervention
• There is No Place Called Inclusion
• The Road to Post-Secondary Education: Questions to Consider
• Tips for Teaching High-Functioning People with Autism
• Tips to Consider When Including a Student with ASD in Art, Music, or Physical Education
• Transition: Preparing for a Lifetime
• Transition to Middle School
• Transition Time: Helping Individuals on the Autism Spectrum Move Successfully from One Activity to Another
• Understanding the Design and Power of a Personal Schedule
• Using Visual Schedules: A Guide for Parents
• Who Are We Working for Anyway? Avoiding Personal Agendas at Meetings to Better Support Individuals Across the Autism Spectrum
• Structured Teaching Strategies: A Series
• Growing Up Together
• How to Open A Combination Lock/Locker
• Supporting Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders Through Postsecondary Transition
  • Predictors of Positive Transition
  • Tips for Writing Transition IEP Goals
  • Employment or College?
  • Timeline for Supporting an Individual with ASD Through Transition

(Note:  This is an expanded section of the article, " Supporting Youth with Austism Spectrum Disorders through Postsecondary Transition", contributed by Anna Merrill.  The main article can be found at:  http://www.iidc.indiana.edu/index.php?pageId=3629)

Employment or College?

Contributed by Anna Merrill, Graduate Assistant


In the process of preparing for transition it becomes important to examine what goals match with the abilities and needs of an individual with ASD. There is no one way to determine if college or employment is a better match for any particular student and the same is true for students on the spectrum.

Employment

If employment is the goal of a successful transition for a student with ASD, then the first step is to explore the individual’s interests, talents and skills. What would an ideal job environment look like to them? The next step is to formulate a list of realistic career goals. Many youth with ASD may want to be a video game developer or work on the NASA space station, but understanding the skills required to achieve such a job, and the number of jobs that exist, is important. Consider how you can use student’s interests to formulate career goals that match their interests but are realistically attainable. For example, can a student who wants to be a video game developer work in a store where video games are sold? Once the student has identified potential employers they will need guidance through the applying and interviewing process. When considering the questions asked in an interview, an individual with ASD may need coaching on how to answer questions about why they would like to work for their employer or how to describe their individual strengths and weaknesses. This is also an important time to discuss whether or not they would like to disclose their ASD to their employer. Discussing the pros and cons of doing so is important so that the individual can make this important decision.

Resources Regarding Transition to Employment

Bakken, J.P. (2008). Transition planning for students with disabilities: what educators and service providers can do. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
 
Bissonnette, B. (2013). The complete guide to getting a job for people with Asperger’s Syndrome: Find the right career and get hired. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Hughes, C., & Carter, E. W. (2000). The transition handbook: Strategies high school teachers use that work! Baltimore: P.H. Brookes Pub.
 
Johnson, M. D. (2004). W.A.G.E.S.: Working at gaining employment skills: A job-related social skills curriculum for adolescents. Longmont, CO: Sopris West.

Wehmeyer, M. (2007). Self-determination: instructional and assessment strategies. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.


College

If a student is considering moving on to a college environment there are many important features that will be different from high school. For example, in college:

• Students’ schedules vary and usually have large chunks of unstructured time
• Assignments and exams are significantly more challenging and students are required to seek out help on their own if needed
• Course materials cannot be modified
• Professors are only required to make reasonable accommodations
• Parents have limited to no rights

There is a distinct difference between a student’s education before college and during college. In high school, receiving education is a student’s legal right. In college, you must apply, pay tuition, and pass entrance exams. School districts are also responsible for identifying disabilities, but in college it is the student’s responsibility to self-disclose and provide documentation of their disability. When they arrive on campus they will need to contact the office for students with disabilities to complete paperwork to receive accommodations. Also remember that the first step to choosing college programs to apply is to choose a career goal. Once a career goal has been chosen this can guide choices about the education required to reach that goal. A junior or community college program will cost less money and offer a smaller campus and smaller classes. However, a four-year degree may open the door to more career opportunities upon graduation.


Resources Regarding Transition to College

Brown, J. T. (2012). The parent's guide to college for students on the autism spectrum. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Co.

Cohen, J. (2006). Guns a' blazing: How parents of children on the autism spectrum and schools can work together--without a shot being fired. Shawnee Mission, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing Co.

Gordon, M., & Keiser, S. (2000). Accommodations in higher education under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): A no-nonsense guide for clinicians, educators, administrators, and lawyers. DeWitt, NY: GSI Publications.

Harpur, J., Lawlor, M., & Fitzgerald, M. (2004). Succeeding in college with asperger syndrome: A student guide. New York: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Palmer, A. (2006). Realizing the college dream with autism or asperger syndrome: A parent's guide to student success. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 
 

References

Bauminger, N., Shulman, C., & Agam, G. (2003). Peer interaction and loneliness in high-functioning children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33(5), 489-507.

Cimera, R.E. & Cowan, R.J. (2009). The costs of services and employment outcomes achieved by adults with autism in the US. Autism, 13 (3), 285 – 302.

Hartley, S. L., & Sikora, D. M. (2009). Which DSM-IV-TR criteria best differentiate high-functioning autism spectrum disorder from ADHD and anxiety disorders in older children? Autism, 13(5), 485-509.

Hendricks, D. (2010). Employment and adults with autism spectrum disorders: Challenges and strategies for success. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 32, 125 – 134.

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 (2004).

Rogers, D. (2011). Rising prevalence of autism – What are the implications? [Powerpoint Slides]. Retrieved from: http://www.autismcincy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Autism-Prevalence-Presentation-08.05.11.pdf

Shore, S. M. (2004). Ask and tell: Self-advocacy and disclosure for people on the autism spectrum. AAPC Publishing.

Smith, F. & Lugas, J. (2010). Vocational rehabilitation (VR) employment outcomes for transition-age youth with autism, and other disabilities. DataNote Series, Data Note XXV. Boston, MA: Institute for Community Inclusion.



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