Last week, I had a few students start a community work placement. They are going to work at the local grocery store with a job coach from our district. This is a great placement for teaching initial job skills, as there are a lot of tasks that are essential for many different jobs in life.
One of my student has been anxiously waiting to start his job this year. He saw seniors participating in it last year, so he was very excited to do so this year. This is a student that, two years ago when he came to our distirct, was very shy and didn't really express himself at all. He has made great strides since then. He has found a social circle of friends at lunch (he chose to sit by himself for 3 semester before finally joining another group) and he more openly expresses himself to others. It's fantastic.
When he came back from his first day at work last week, I asked him how it went, and he responded with "Excellent!" I have never heard him so excited or enthusiastic about anything before. It was really awesome! Just a great example of how these types of experiences really can be great for students with disabilities.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Friday, September 24, 2010
Richmond Hill school opens for pupils with autism
Richmond Hill school opens for pupils with autism
BY ANNA GUSTAFSON
http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/09/23/queens/qns_richmond_hill_school_opening_20100923.txt
Last week’s ribbon cutting for the School for Language and Communication Development’s high school in Richmond Hill was lauded as a dream come true by the school officials who have spent the past eight years in a contentious legal battle with the state Department of Education.
The SLCD, which serves students with language and autism spectrum disorders, and the state DOE settled the eight-year lawsuit this past February, which allowed the Richmond Hill school at 87-25 136 St. to open for this school year. The SLCD had sued the DOE over a cap the state had placed on the number of students the SLCD could serve, essentially prohibiting the group from opening a high school.
The SLCD provides services to more than 400 children ages 3 to 21 and has been given the green light by the state to enroll as many as 540 students. It also runs a pre-K and elementary school in Glen Cove, L.I., and a middle school in Woodside.
“This is a dream come true,” Ellenmorris Tiegerman, the founder and executive director of the SLCD, said at the high school’s ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday. “It’s been a long, hard fight. At the end of the day, what are we fighting for? We’re fighting for these wonderful children who have so much potential, so much to give.”
SLCD Director Christine Radziewicz said it was a “combination of mitzvahs and miracles” that made the high school a reality, including help from the bevy of state legislators who attended Friday’s celebration.
“Dealing with Albany was indeed an experience, but we wanted to give any help that we could,” state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) said. “What Dr. Tiegerman has done here, what she has been all about, is to see every child reach their maximum potential.”
Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) said the SLCD’s schools should prove to be models for institutions across the state.
“As a member of the [Senate] Education Committee, I can tell you we need to invest more into schools like this,” Addabbo said. “Today, this is a great snapshot, a great snapshot of success for our children.”
Students can attend the Richmond Hill school for as long as six years until they hit the age of 21. At the school, students engage in academic classes as well as vocational courses. There is a model of a Calvin Klein retail store, in which students learn how to work a cash register, fold and sort clothes and deal with customers. The school also has a model apartment, so students can learn how to live on their own after graduation, and a business office in which students learn skills needed to work in an office environment.
“My dream was to create a high school program that prepared children with disabilities for independent life,” Tiegerman said.
“The Calvin Klein store is great because the students find out quickly there’s a life after the textbooks, the blackboard,” said Davis, of Hempstead, L.I.
Davis, a journalism major at Howard who authors a blog on the SLCD website, said he fondly remembers his time at the school.
“We were all in it together, the students and the teachers,” Davis said. “The only way we got over hurdles was to be here.”
For more information about the School for Language and Communication Development, visit slcd.org.
BY ANNA GUSTAFSON
http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2010/09/23/queens/qns_richmond_hill_school_opening_20100923.txt
Last week’s ribbon cutting for the School for Language and Communication Development’s high school in Richmond Hill was lauded as a dream come true by the school officials who have spent the past eight years in a contentious legal battle with the state Department of Education.
The SLCD, which serves students with language and autism spectrum disorders, and the state DOE settled the eight-year lawsuit this past February, which allowed the Richmond Hill school at 87-25 136 St. to open for this school year. The SLCD had sued the DOE over a cap the state had placed on the number of students the SLCD could serve, essentially prohibiting the group from opening a high school.
The SLCD provides services to more than 400 children ages 3 to 21 and has been given the green light by the state to enroll as many as 540 students. It also runs a pre-K and elementary school in Glen Cove, L.I., and a middle school in Woodside.
“This is a dream come true,” Ellenmorris Tiegerman, the founder and executive director of the SLCD, said at the high school’s ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday. “It’s been a long, hard fight. At the end of the day, what are we fighting for? We’re fighting for these wonderful children who have so much potential, so much to give.”
SLCD Director Christine Radziewicz said it was a “combination of mitzvahs and miracles” that made the high school a reality, including help from the bevy of state legislators who attended Friday’s celebration.
“Dealing with Albany was indeed an experience, but we wanted to give any help that we could,” state Sen. Frank Padavan (R-Bellerose) said. “What Dr. Tiegerman has done here, what she has been all about, is to see every child reach their maximum potential.”
Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D-Howard Beach) said the SLCD’s schools should prove to be models for institutions across the state.
“As a member of the [Senate] Education Committee, I can tell you we need to invest more into schools like this,” Addabbo said. “Today, this is a great snapshot, a great snapshot of success for our children.”
Students can attend the Richmond Hill school for as long as six years until they hit the age of 21. At the school, students engage in academic classes as well as vocational courses. There is a model of a Calvin Klein retail store, in which students learn how to work a cash register, fold and sort clothes and deal with customers. The school also has a model apartment, so students can learn how to live on their own after graduation, and a business office in which students learn skills needed to work in an office environment.
“My dream was to create a high school program that prepared children with disabilities for independent life,” Tiegerman said.
“The Calvin Klein store is great because the students find out quickly there’s a life after the textbooks, the blackboard,” said Davis, of Hempstead, L.I.
Davis, a journalism major at Howard who authors a blog on the SLCD website, said he fondly remembers his time at the school.
“We were all in it together, the students and the teachers,” Davis said. “The only way we got over hurdles was to be here.”
For more information about the School for Language and Communication Development, visit slcd.org.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Woodburn School District helps bridge the gap to those with disabilities
Woodburn School District helps bridge the gap to those with disabilities
District took over the Bridges Program from Willamette ESD
By: Lindsay Keefer
http://www.woodburnindependent.com/news/2010/September/12/Education/woodburn.school.district.helps.bridge.the.gap.to.those.with.disabilities/news.aspx
WOODBURN — A fairly new program through the Woodburn School District is bridging the gap between school and the real world for young adults with disabilities.
The Bridges Program, which is starting its third year, transitions 18- to 21-year-old young adults with disabilities into independent living and the working world.
This year, the program, which used to be run by the Willamette Education Service District, is being run by the school district.
The name is derived from the transition process.
“We’re trying to bridge that gap so it’s not this giant leap, they’re not totally on their own trying to navigate confusing agencies and groups,” said Jennifer Spencer-Iiams, director of student services for the district.
“We’re trying to help them have a more positive and confident transition to their next phase in life.”
According to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), any student that hasn’t received a standard diploma and fits in that age group is eligible for the program, reaching 11 categories of disabilities.
“Another part of that law says that we need to provide transition services once they’re 16, to start planning for what comes next and helping them prepare,” said Spencer-Iiams.
“It’s really hard for families. When they’re in school, everything is centralized, but when they’re out of school, they have to deal with agencies and brokerages and they have to be educated about what’s out there.”
Bridges helps families find and connect with resources in the community and helps students develop or connect with job skills.
“That looks different, depending on the student,” Spencer-Iiams said. “Some are very capable but maybe they need help getting their foot in the door, and others need a lot of basic support on the job site.”
One way, vocationally, Bridges students have been supported is through a collaboration with the district.
She said when they first started the Bridges Program, they were looking for “meaningful work” and one avenue was helping the district with the refurbishing of science kits.
She said the collaboration has turned into a win-win situation, with the Bridges students gaining working skills while the district saves money.
“The amount of work is on their individual plan and what works for them,” Spencer-Iiams said.
“It’s always from that perspective. There are so many opportunities. Putting a certain number of cups in the bag can be meaningful. It’s based on their individual goals, things that will translate to the working world.”
Bridges also helps students with independent living and offers support for recreation leisure and social time.
“At high school, there’s a lot of built-in social group time,” Spencer-Iiams said.
“Suddenly they’re only in the workplace and they sometimes struggle with recreation and social peer groups. We help them with activities … planning a party, card games. Someone might be very sociable but needs help on how to establish appropriate behavior.”
The program, which is currently run during the day out of a three-bedroom apartment at Cascade Meadows Apartments, is looking to move its location downtown.
“One of the reasons we want to move to a location downtown is there are lots more opportunities for recreation,” Spencer-Iiams said. “(The current site) is further away from some community things, but it would be great to just be able to practice going to a store or restaurant or take a class at Chemeketa (Community College).”
The program is run by Charlotte Hazel, three instructional assistants and a recreation leisure specialist, Kathy Schnebly.
“(Charlotte) has a passion for transition-age youth,” Spencer-Iiams said. “That’s her specialty and she’s great at it.”
She said professional development is better now that Woodburn has taken charge of the program.
“The teacher participates in professional development with other special education teachers. She’s more connected so she knows the students before they come into the program,” Spencer-Iiams said.
There are currently 18 students in the program from Woodburn, North Marion, Gervais and Mt. Angel school districts.
“Each year we’re getting more kids and expanding the range,” Spencer-Iiams said.
She said there has been nothing but positive feedback from the students and their families.
“They see the confidence and the skills that their students gain in that setting,” Spencer-Iiams said.
“Traditional school was always really hard for them. Here we can really just create a plan that’s all about them, it’s very individualized. … I look at what we were doing for students before and what we’re doing now — the amount of time in the community, the independent skills they’ve gained and they have better connections, resources and vocational opportunities.”
District took over the Bridges Program from Willamette ESD
By: Lindsay Keefer
http://www.woodburnindependent.com/news/2010/September/12/Education/woodburn.school.district.helps.bridge.the.gap.to.those.with.disabilities/news.aspx
WOODBURN — A fairly new program through the Woodburn School District is bridging the gap between school and the real world for young adults with disabilities.
The Bridges Program, which is starting its third year, transitions 18- to 21-year-old young adults with disabilities into independent living and the working world.
This year, the program, which used to be run by the Willamette Education Service District, is being run by the school district.
The name is derived from the transition process.
“We’re trying to bridge that gap so it’s not this giant leap, they’re not totally on their own trying to navigate confusing agencies and groups,” said Jennifer Spencer-Iiams, director of student services for the district.
“We’re trying to help them have a more positive and confident transition to their next phase in life.”
According to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), any student that hasn’t received a standard diploma and fits in that age group is eligible for the program, reaching 11 categories of disabilities.
“Another part of that law says that we need to provide transition services once they’re 16, to start planning for what comes next and helping them prepare,” said Spencer-Iiams.
“It’s really hard for families. When they’re in school, everything is centralized, but when they’re out of school, they have to deal with agencies and brokerages and they have to be educated about what’s out there.”
Bridges helps families find and connect with resources in the community and helps students develop or connect with job skills.
“That looks different, depending on the student,” Spencer-Iiams said. “Some are very capable but maybe they need help getting their foot in the door, and others need a lot of basic support on the job site.”
One way, vocationally, Bridges students have been supported is through a collaboration with the district.
She said when they first started the Bridges Program, they were looking for “meaningful work” and one avenue was helping the district with the refurbishing of science kits.
She said the collaboration has turned into a win-win situation, with the Bridges students gaining working skills while the district saves money.
“The amount of work is on their individual plan and what works for them,” Spencer-Iiams said.
“It’s always from that perspective. There are so many opportunities. Putting a certain number of cups in the bag can be meaningful. It’s based on their individual goals, things that will translate to the working world.”
Bridges also helps students with independent living and offers support for recreation leisure and social time.
“At high school, there’s a lot of built-in social group time,” Spencer-Iiams said.
“Suddenly they’re only in the workplace and they sometimes struggle with recreation and social peer groups. We help them with activities … planning a party, card games. Someone might be very sociable but needs help on how to establish appropriate behavior.”
The program, which is currently run during the day out of a three-bedroom apartment at Cascade Meadows Apartments, is looking to move its location downtown.
“One of the reasons we want to move to a location downtown is there are lots more opportunities for recreation,” Spencer-Iiams said. “(The current site) is further away from some community things, but it would be great to just be able to practice going to a store or restaurant or take a class at Chemeketa (Community College).”
The program is run by Charlotte Hazel, three instructional assistants and a recreation leisure specialist, Kathy Schnebly.
“(Charlotte) has a passion for transition-age youth,” Spencer-Iiams said. “That’s her specialty and she’s great at it.”
She said professional development is better now that Woodburn has taken charge of the program.
“The teacher participates in professional development with other special education teachers. She’s more connected so she knows the students before they come into the program,” Spencer-Iiams said.
There are currently 18 students in the program from Woodburn, North Marion, Gervais and Mt. Angel school districts.
“Each year we’re getting more kids and expanding the range,” Spencer-Iiams said.
She said there has been nothing but positive feedback from the students and their families.
“They see the confidence and the skills that their students gain in that setting,” Spencer-Iiams said.
“Traditional school was always really hard for them. Here we can really just create a plan that’s all about them, it’s very individualized. … I look at what we were doing for students before and what we’re doing now — the amount of time in the community, the independent skills they’ve gained and they have better connections, resources and vocational opportunities.”
Monday, September 13, 2010
Saline schools' Young Adult Program gives disabled adults job and life skills
Saline schools' Young Adult Program gives disabled adults job and life skills
By: Tara Cavanaugh
http://www.annarbor.com/news/saline/saline-schools-young-adult-program-gives-disabled-adults-job-and-life-skills/
A few years ago, Cathleen Whiteman faced a conundrum. Her then 16-year-old son Daniel, who has autism, wasn’t doing well in school. At 6 feet 2 inches tall and 250 pounds, he was getting harder to control. He had already been held back twice. Three doctors suggested an out-of-home placement. Whiteman homeschooled Daniel for a year, and she thought she might have to quit her job to look after her son full-time.
But around that time, Saline Area Schools special education teacher Kevin Musson had an idea. He decided to create a program with the goal of transitioning young adults with disabilities into adult lives.
The award-winning young adult program, now in its fourth year, helps students like Daniel grow more independent, take care of themselves, and even find work. The Michigan Association of School Boards recognized the program with its Education Excellence Award in 2009, and Musson received an Everyday Hero Award from the Warren, Mich.-based RARE Foundation in 2009 as well.
Some of Daniel’s problems stemmed from the fact that he was bored at home but was too anxious to be comfortable somewhere else, Whiteman said. “Kevin’s staff just worked with him.”
The staff, made up of four teachers and 10 para-educators, recognized that Daniel needed a place to feel safe when he started to get anxious. So they found a small room at the school and turned it into his personal office, “to do some academic work there, look at books, do something that was centering for him… And then when he felt like he had gotten recharged, … he could come out and join the group,” Whiteman said.
“That allowed him to gradually increase his ability to deal with normal life sensory input. Rather than being overwhelmed, he could deal with it more and more,” she said, noting that Daniel didn’t need to use his office this summer.
The staff works with students so that they can focus on learning important life and job skills in the year-round program. As long as the student hasn’t received a high school diploma, and is between the ages of 18 and 26, he or she can participate in the program.
Musson said students shop for their own groceries, make their own lunches, attend classes, and do a daily news report. Students also exercise at the Saline Recreation Center every morning before heading to a job.
“They work like any other adult,” Musson said, usually from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at one of 20 different sites in Saline and Ann Arbor.
A new job site is the Saline Recreation Center. The students in the young adult program will provide vending services, starting in mid-September.
“Students will go to, say Sam’s Club, and shop for the items, purchase them, work on recordkeeping and bookkeeping and things like that, that are important to working a micro-enterprise,” Musson said.
Musson said the program started to do vending at other businesses two years ago, and organizers realized it was a great way to get regular funding.
The program is funded by the Saline school district, but it also does fundraisers. An upcoming one will be Sept. 25th at the Brookside Golf Course in Saline.
Another component of the young adult program is a class for high school students Musson leads. Connecting with Exceptional Individuals teaches high school students to mentor special needs students.
Juliana Whiteman, Daniel’s fraternal twin, attended this class in her junior and senior year of high school. She attended partly to learn more about her brother. Now she is a sophomore at Adrian College, studying teaching. She hopes to be a special education teacher in the future, an interest that was largely sparked by Musson’s class, she said.
Whiteman nominated Musson for the RARE Foundation Everyday Hero Award in 2009. She won a $2500 scholarship for her essay.
Juliana and her mother say that the program made a huge difference in their family life. In families like theirs, “if the special needs kid isn’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Just like having any family member who is miserable is really hard,” Whiteman said.
Now that Daniel is more comfortable with change and social situations, the family can enjoy going out together, seeing movies and going grocery shopping. These are things Daniel couldn’t do before. And because Daniel is so active in the community through the program, “Every place we go people know Daniel,” Whiteman said.
Christopher Macy, 24, is another student in the young adult program who has blossomed. Macy is also autistic and has been in the program for three years.
One of the best things about the program, his mother Jackie said, is that he has a lot of work experience. “He’s been at a CVS, he’s been at a grocery store, a golf course, giving him some idea of the things he would like to do and also kind of a resume to go from,” she said.
Many students, when they leave, have a resume with experience that can help them get jobs. Students have found work at stores such as Walmart and Busch’s.
“We’ve had a good track record with finding paid employment for our students,” Musson said.
Since starting the program, Christopher has become more independent. “He’ll volunteer to clean up and wash the dishes and do those things,” Macy said. He often surprises the family with his new capabilities.
“Lo and behold, he got up one morning and made himself waffles,” Macy said, chuckling. “I didn’t even know he knew how to make waffles.” It’s something he learned at school.
Macy used to worry that her son would be dependent on their family for the rest of his life. Now, she predicts that he could end up living with friends or co-workers.
Not every student leaves the program with a job, Musson said. Some transition to adult homes, and the young adult program helps the students and families make that change too.
This emphasis on making the change is important, Macy said. “Every young adult goes to the next step,” she said. “They either go to college, or community college, or a vocational school, or get a job or do something at that stage in life. So why shouldn’t these young people have a new phase or a new stage in their life too?”
By: Tara Cavanaugh
http://www.annarbor.com/news/saline/saline-schools-young-adult-program-gives-disabled-adults-job-and-life-skills/
A few years ago, Cathleen Whiteman faced a conundrum. Her then 16-year-old son Daniel, who has autism, wasn’t doing well in school. At 6 feet 2 inches tall and 250 pounds, he was getting harder to control. He had already been held back twice. Three doctors suggested an out-of-home placement. Whiteman homeschooled Daniel for a year, and she thought she might have to quit her job to look after her son full-time.
But around that time, Saline Area Schools special education teacher Kevin Musson had an idea. He decided to create a program with the goal of transitioning young adults with disabilities into adult lives.
The award-winning young adult program, now in its fourth year, helps students like Daniel grow more independent, take care of themselves, and even find work. The Michigan Association of School Boards recognized the program with its Education Excellence Award in 2009, and Musson received an Everyday Hero Award from the Warren, Mich.-based RARE Foundation in 2009 as well.
Some of Daniel’s problems stemmed from the fact that he was bored at home but was too anxious to be comfortable somewhere else, Whiteman said. “Kevin’s staff just worked with him.”
The staff, made up of four teachers and 10 para-educators, recognized that Daniel needed a place to feel safe when he started to get anxious. So they found a small room at the school and turned it into his personal office, “to do some academic work there, look at books, do something that was centering for him… And then when he felt like he had gotten recharged, … he could come out and join the group,” Whiteman said.
“That allowed him to gradually increase his ability to deal with normal life sensory input. Rather than being overwhelmed, he could deal with it more and more,” she said, noting that Daniel didn’t need to use his office this summer.
The staff works with students so that they can focus on learning important life and job skills in the year-round program. As long as the student hasn’t received a high school diploma, and is between the ages of 18 and 26, he or she can participate in the program.
Musson said students shop for their own groceries, make their own lunches, attend classes, and do a daily news report. Students also exercise at the Saline Recreation Center every morning before heading to a job.
“They work like any other adult,” Musson said, usually from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at one of 20 different sites in Saline and Ann Arbor.
A new job site is the Saline Recreation Center. The students in the young adult program will provide vending services, starting in mid-September.
“Students will go to, say Sam’s Club, and shop for the items, purchase them, work on recordkeeping and bookkeeping and things like that, that are important to working a micro-enterprise,” Musson said.
Musson said the program started to do vending at other businesses two years ago, and organizers realized it was a great way to get regular funding.
The program is funded by the Saline school district, but it also does fundraisers. An upcoming one will be Sept. 25th at the Brookside Golf Course in Saline.
Another component of the young adult program is a class for high school students Musson leads. Connecting with Exceptional Individuals teaches high school students to mentor special needs students.
Juliana Whiteman, Daniel’s fraternal twin, attended this class in her junior and senior year of high school. She attended partly to learn more about her brother. Now she is a sophomore at Adrian College, studying teaching. She hopes to be a special education teacher in the future, an interest that was largely sparked by Musson’s class, she said.
Whiteman nominated Musson for the RARE Foundation Everyday Hero Award in 2009. She won a $2500 scholarship for her essay.
Juliana and her mother say that the program made a huge difference in their family life. In families like theirs, “if the special needs kid isn’t happy, ain’t nobody happy. Just like having any family member who is miserable is really hard,” Whiteman said.
Now that Daniel is more comfortable with change and social situations, the family can enjoy going out together, seeing movies and going grocery shopping. These are things Daniel couldn’t do before. And because Daniel is so active in the community through the program, “Every place we go people know Daniel,” Whiteman said.
Christopher Macy, 24, is another student in the young adult program who has blossomed. Macy is also autistic and has been in the program for three years.
One of the best things about the program, his mother Jackie said, is that he has a lot of work experience. “He’s been at a CVS, he’s been at a grocery store, a golf course, giving him some idea of the things he would like to do and also kind of a resume to go from,” she said.
Many students, when they leave, have a resume with experience that can help them get jobs. Students have found work at stores such as Walmart and Busch’s.
“We’ve had a good track record with finding paid employment for our students,” Musson said.
Since starting the program, Christopher has become more independent. “He’ll volunteer to clean up and wash the dishes and do those things,” Macy said. He often surprises the family with his new capabilities.
“Lo and behold, he got up one morning and made himself waffles,” Macy said, chuckling. “I didn’t even know he knew how to make waffles.” It’s something he learned at school.
Macy used to worry that her son would be dependent on their family for the rest of his life. Now, she predicts that he could end up living with friends or co-workers.
Not every student leaves the program with a job, Musson said. Some transition to adult homes, and the young adult program helps the students and families make that change too.
This emphasis on making the change is important, Macy said. “Every young adult goes to the next step,” she said. “They either go to college, or community college, or a vocational school, or get a job or do something at that stage in life. So why shouldn’t these young people have a new phase or a new stage in their life too?”
Lessons on living with Autism
Lessons on living with autism
By Joanna Weiss
LIKE MOST college students, the kids at the College Internship Program have spent the last few weeks gearing up for classes, meeting roommates, readying for life away from home. But on this tiny campus in the Berkshires, they’ve been getting extra help.
For instance, they take courses in “executive functioning’’ — not business techniques, but the cognitive work of decision-making and self-control. In their classroom, posters offer tips for talking to acquaintances. “Smile and say ‘hello’ to initiate a dialogue. Ask them how they are to build rapport.’’
For people with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s disorder, this is hardly intuitive stuff. And if the number of autism diagnoses has risen dramatically, so too will the number of teenagers who reach this tentative place: ready to leave the cocoon, but not quite ready for the world.
The question of how to help them isn’t flashy, controversial, or celebrity-studded. That may be why far more attention goes to the torrid debate over autism’s causes, the hunt for ways that the disorder can be “cured.’’
The staff at the College Internship Program chafes at the notion that autism is something to cure or defeat. A diagnosis is a piece of your identity, says the program’s founder, Michael McManmon. His philosophy centers on self-knowledge. “If you understand who you are and what makes you tick,’’ he said recently, “then you can alter it and you can fit into the world.’’
For McManmon, self-knowledge came years after he founded the program. It was his staff that pointed out that he probably had Asperger’s, which explained his vast energy, his entrepreneurial skills, his trouble managing personal relationships. It also explained his interest in 1984 — when kids with social disabilities were getting deinstitutionalized — in finding ways to ease their transition to independent life.
Since then, McManmon’s program has expanded dramatically. It now serves young adults with autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities, and has five campuses across the country. At the original campus in Lee, about 40 students live in group apartments downtown, aided by a 24-hour residential staff. Many take classes at Berkshire Community College and have internships at local businesses. They also get lessons in nutrition and hygiene, help with grocery shopping and cooking, twice-weekly sessions with advisers who help them organize and plan.
They come with a range of issues and needs. Some have trouble with basic social skills, and might get intense coaching on holding conversations or making eye contact. Others have trouble managing time. Recent graduate Liz Gray, a 24-year-old with Asperger’s, told me she’s easily distracted: “God help me if I’m working on a task and there’s something shiny or sparkly in the room.’’ Before she came to Lee, she had dropped out of a mainstream college, burned by one disastrous semester. Now, she’s living on her own in Pittsfield, feeling strong.
Young adults often find their way here after experiencing failure, according to Jeff Wheeler, the program’s academic coordinator. “You see somebody come in who has such great potential, and has never really been able to find their legs under them,’’ he said. “They typically have this ‘lazy and dumb’ label.’’
His task, he says, is to convince them that they have the power to meet their goals, to seek their dream careers. That sometimes means making mistakes and learning how to fix them: last year, one student skipped so many papers in a college course that he had to write four in a single day. But it sometimes means success, by anyone’s standards. One student recently sold his photographs at a solo exhibit at the Lee public library.
The stories are encouraging, but for many families, they’re also out of reach. The program’s large staff of teachers, tutors, and advisers comes at a price: The most intense set of services can cost more than $70,000 a year, though prices typically drop as students progress.
The program has a small foundation to finance scholarships. A handful of students get help through state programs or local school systems. But many high school graduates who could use a school like this are on their own — invisible, despite all the attention over autism’s rise. And searching, as usual, for ways to navigate an unforgiving world.
Joanna Weiss can be reached at weiss@globe.com.
By Joanna Weiss
LIKE MOST college students, the kids at the College Internship Program have spent the last few weeks gearing up for classes, meeting roommates, readying for life away from home. But on this tiny campus in the Berkshires, they’ve been getting extra help.
For instance, they take courses in “executive functioning’’ — not business techniques, but the cognitive work of decision-making and self-control. In their classroom, posters offer tips for talking to acquaintances. “Smile and say ‘hello’ to initiate a dialogue. Ask them how they are to build rapport.’’
For people with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s disorder, this is hardly intuitive stuff. And if the number of autism diagnoses has risen dramatically, so too will the number of teenagers who reach this tentative place: ready to leave the cocoon, but not quite ready for the world.
The question of how to help them isn’t flashy, controversial, or celebrity-studded. That may be why far more attention goes to the torrid debate over autism’s causes, the hunt for ways that the disorder can be “cured.’’
The staff at the College Internship Program chafes at the notion that autism is something to cure or defeat. A diagnosis is a piece of your identity, says the program’s founder, Michael McManmon. His philosophy centers on self-knowledge. “If you understand who you are and what makes you tick,’’ he said recently, “then you can alter it and you can fit into the world.’’
For McManmon, self-knowledge came years after he founded the program. It was his staff that pointed out that he probably had Asperger’s, which explained his vast energy, his entrepreneurial skills, his trouble managing personal relationships. It also explained his interest in 1984 — when kids with social disabilities were getting deinstitutionalized — in finding ways to ease their transition to independent life.
Since then, McManmon’s program has expanded dramatically. It now serves young adults with autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities, and has five campuses across the country. At the original campus in Lee, about 40 students live in group apartments downtown, aided by a 24-hour residential staff. Many take classes at Berkshire Community College and have internships at local businesses. They also get lessons in nutrition and hygiene, help with grocery shopping and cooking, twice-weekly sessions with advisers who help them organize and plan.
They come with a range of issues and needs. Some have trouble with basic social skills, and might get intense coaching on holding conversations or making eye contact. Others have trouble managing time. Recent graduate Liz Gray, a 24-year-old with Asperger’s, told me she’s easily distracted: “God help me if I’m working on a task and there’s something shiny or sparkly in the room.’’ Before she came to Lee, she had dropped out of a mainstream college, burned by one disastrous semester. Now, she’s living on her own in Pittsfield, feeling strong.
Young adults often find their way here after experiencing failure, according to Jeff Wheeler, the program’s academic coordinator. “You see somebody come in who has such great potential, and has never really been able to find their legs under them,’’ he said. “They typically have this ‘lazy and dumb’ label.’’
His task, he says, is to convince them that they have the power to meet their goals, to seek their dream careers. That sometimes means making mistakes and learning how to fix them: last year, one student skipped so many papers in a college course that he had to write four in a single day. But it sometimes means success, by anyone’s standards. One student recently sold his photographs at a solo exhibit at the Lee public library.
The stories are encouraging, but for many families, they’re also out of reach. The program’s large staff of teachers, tutors, and advisers comes at a price: The most intense set of services can cost more than $70,000 a year, though prices typically drop as students progress.
The program has a small foundation to finance scholarships. A handful of students get help through state programs or local school systems. But many high school graduates who could use a school like this are on their own — invisible, despite all the attention over autism’s rise. And searching, as usual, for ways to navigate an unforgiving world.
Joanna Weiss can be reached at weiss@globe.com.
Friday, September 10, 2010
School's ice cream parlor dishes up life skills
School's ice cream parlor dishes up life skills
Special-needs students at Tobinworld go to the Baskin-Robbins shop for job experience, social skills and sweet rewards.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/18/local/la-me-ice-cream-20100718
Joseline Reyes had the scoop on the hottest day of the year so far at her school.
She had two scoops, in fact.
"I've got cookies 'n cream. It's my favorite," the 15-year-old said as she relaxed in the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor that sits in the middle of a Glendale school's grounds.
Joseline, of Van Nuys, attends summer school classes at Tobinworld, a 300-student campus for autistic and emotionally disturbed youngsters.
Besides being a popular place on a hot day, the Baskin-Robbins store is a centerpiece of the school's curriculum.
Teachers use it to motivate students to learn and modify their behavior. The not-for-profit store also helps build business and social skills and prepares teenagers for the work world.
Open since 1995, the one-of-a-kind school store resembles a real Baskin-Robbins outlet, right down to its signage, furnishings and cheery pink paint scheme.
"The company made us change the shade of pink before we opened. Baskin-Robbins wanted it right," said Judith Weber, founder and executive director of Tobinworld. "The president of Baskin-Robbins was here for the store's grand opening."
The school is named after Weber's son, Tobin, now 43. She established the campus in 1977 after discovering there was no public school program available for him in the Los Angeles area.
These days, 23 local school systems, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, send special-needs students to the five-building campus on East Broadway. Federal and state funds pay about $30,000 a year per student to cover Tobinworld's operating costs.
Classroom work for the school's K-12 student body is based on what Weber describes as a reward system. Youngsters earn tokens for positive behavior and for completing assignments.
They use the tokens to pay for their ice cream. A menu board above the store's freezer counter lists the prices: One scoop costs one token, three-scoop sundaes sell for three tokens, floats cost four and malts and shakes require five. Banana splits sell for six tokens.
The school's 250 staff members can also buy ice cream cones and sundaes, but they have to pay cash.
Twenty-six teenagers work at the school's Baskin-Robbins. They apply for the positions like real employees do and undergo a pre-employment interview. On the job, they wear official company uniforms. They are not paid for their work at the not-for-profit store.
Special-needs students at Tobinworld go to the Baskin-Robbins shop for job experience, social skills and sweet rewards.
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/18/local/la-me-ice-cream-20100718
Joseline Reyes had the scoop on the hottest day of the year so far at her school.
She had two scoops, in fact.
"I've got cookies 'n cream. It's my favorite," the 15-year-old said as she relaxed in the Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor that sits in the middle of a Glendale school's grounds.
Joseline, of Van Nuys, attends summer school classes at Tobinworld, a 300-student campus for autistic and emotionally disturbed youngsters.
Besides being a popular place on a hot day, the Baskin-Robbins store is a centerpiece of the school's curriculum.
Teachers use it to motivate students to learn and modify their behavior. The not-for-profit store also helps build business and social skills and prepares teenagers for the work world.
Open since 1995, the one-of-a-kind school store resembles a real Baskin-Robbins outlet, right down to its signage, furnishings and cheery pink paint scheme.
"The company made us change the shade of pink before we opened. Baskin-Robbins wanted it right," said Judith Weber, founder and executive director of Tobinworld. "The president of Baskin-Robbins was here for the store's grand opening."
The school is named after Weber's son, Tobin, now 43. She established the campus in 1977 after discovering there was no public school program available for him in the Los Angeles area.
These days, 23 local school systems, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, send special-needs students to the five-building campus on East Broadway. Federal and state funds pay about $30,000 a year per student to cover Tobinworld's operating costs.
Classroom work for the school's K-12 student body is based on what Weber describes as a reward system. Youngsters earn tokens for positive behavior and for completing assignments.
They use the tokens to pay for their ice cream. A menu board above the store's freezer counter lists the prices: One scoop costs one token, three-scoop sundaes sell for three tokens, floats cost four and malts and shakes require five. Banana splits sell for six tokens.
The school's 250 staff members can also buy ice cream cones and sundaes, but they have to pay cash.
Twenty-six teenagers work at the school's Baskin-Robbins. They apply for the positions like real employees do and undergo a pre-employment interview. On the job, they wear official company uniforms. They are not paid for their work at the not-for-profit store.
Disabled kids at P.S. 107 feel at home in its kitchen, which youngsters built
Disabled kids at P.S. 107 feel at home in its kitchen, which youngsters built
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2010/07/18/2010-07-18_disabled_kids_feel_at_home_in_kitchen.html
The Great Recession hasn't stopped a Flushing elementary school from coming up with its own recipe for success.
Public School 107 created a custom-built, handicapped-accessible kitchen to help its physically and mentally disabled students learn day-to-day living skills along with arithmetic - without costing the school a cent.
"We wanted to go beyond paper and pencil activities for kids," said Principal Jim Phair. The kitchen "puts a real life spin on the activities they would normally do in therapy."
Even though the pre-K-through-5 school took a deep budget cut, Phair and special education coordinator Jane Turetzky forged ahead with the kitchen. It helps students learn reading, math and teamwork through activities like making a batch of sugar cookies, he said.
They transformed a musty old classroom into a bright kitchen able to accommodate wheelchairs, thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Home Depot in College Point and a $5,000 donation from PS 107's veteran Principal for a Day Michael Goldstein, a former Toys "R" Us CEO.
A group of Home Depot employees even volunteered to do the installation free of charge.
"You can't be held hostage by the economy," Phair said. "Every school has a wealth of community that virtually goes untapped."
Cooking can play an important role in some of the special needs children's therapy, he said. Simple tasks like holding a bowl with one hand and stirring the batter with the other can develop motor skills, Phair explained.
And so far, the kitchen seems to be a hit with the kids.
Lorraine Casey, 10, of Whitestone, who will be in fifth grade this fall, said her favorite comestible lesson is making pizza. Handicapped accessibility is another plus for the aspiring chef, who uses a wheelchair.
"There's space for me to move around," said Lorraine, who has cerebral palsy. "Some kitchens don't have enough room for people with wheelchairs."
Her mother, Vita Casey, 46, said the kitchen therapy sessions have boosted her daughter's self-esteem - along with her math skills.
"She's able to grasp the concept of measurements a little bit easier than in textbooks," she said.
Teaching special needs students day-to-day skills early on is key, said school occupational therapist Cristina Abramovich.
"Having the kitchen allows us to work on making the children more independent in school as well as at home," Abramovich said. "Rather than just reaching up to put a ring on a cone, now we're having them reach into a cabinet for a spoon."
Abramovich said she's seen improvement in her students since the kitchen opened this spring. But the kids aren't always aware of their progress "because they're having so much fun," she said.
Using a kitchen to tap into a child's potential is nothing new, said Mark Alter, a professor of educational psychology at New York University.
But "it's not common enough," he said. "The idea of putting kids in a real-life environment is a good one. It's preparing the kids to live independently."
Phair doesn't want to limit these types of life lessons to just his special needs students. He plans to open the kitchen to the entire school in the fall.
"This is going to be something everyone benefits from," he said.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2010/07/18/2010-07-18_disabled_kids_feel_at_home_in_kitchen.html#ixzz0z9WdRxkr
http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2010/07/18/2010-07-18_disabled_kids_feel_at_home_in_kitchen.html
The Great Recession hasn't stopped a Flushing elementary school from coming up with its own recipe for success.
Public School 107 created a custom-built, handicapped-accessible kitchen to help its physically and mentally disabled students learn day-to-day living skills along with arithmetic - without costing the school a cent.
"We wanted to go beyond paper and pencil activities for kids," said Principal Jim Phair. The kitchen "puts a real life spin on the activities they would normally do in therapy."
Even though the pre-K-through-5 school took a deep budget cut, Phair and special education coordinator Jane Turetzky forged ahead with the kitchen. It helps students learn reading, math and teamwork through activities like making a batch of sugar cookies, he said.
They transformed a musty old classroom into a bright kitchen able to accommodate wheelchairs, thanks to a $15,000 grant from the Home Depot in College Point and a $5,000 donation from PS 107's veteran Principal for a Day Michael Goldstein, a former Toys "R" Us CEO.
A group of Home Depot employees even volunteered to do the installation free of charge.
"You can't be held hostage by the economy," Phair said. "Every school has a wealth of community that virtually goes untapped."
Cooking can play an important role in some of the special needs children's therapy, he said. Simple tasks like holding a bowl with one hand and stirring the batter with the other can develop motor skills, Phair explained.
And so far, the kitchen seems to be a hit with the kids.
Lorraine Casey, 10, of Whitestone, who will be in fifth grade this fall, said her favorite comestible lesson is making pizza. Handicapped accessibility is another plus for the aspiring chef, who uses a wheelchair.
"There's space for me to move around," said Lorraine, who has cerebral palsy. "Some kitchens don't have enough room for people with wheelchairs."
Her mother, Vita Casey, 46, said the kitchen therapy sessions have boosted her daughter's self-esteem - along with her math skills.
"She's able to grasp the concept of measurements a little bit easier than in textbooks," she said.
Teaching special needs students day-to-day skills early on is key, said school occupational therapist Cristina Abramovich.
"Having the kitchen allows us to work on making the children more independent in school as well as at home," Abramovich said. "Rather than just reaching up to put a ring on a cone, now we're having them reach into a cabinet for a spoon."
Abramovich said she's seen improvement in her students since the kitchen opened this spring. But the kids aren't always aware of their progress "because they're having so much fun," she said.
Using a kitchen to tap into a child's potential is nothing new, said Mark Alter, a professor of educational psychology at New York University.
But "it's not common enough," he said. "The idea of putting kids in a real-life environment is a good one. It's preparing the kids to live independently."
Phair doesn't want to limit these types of life lessons to just his special needs students. He plans to open the kitchen to the entire school in the fall.
"This is going to be something everyone benefits from," he said.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/queens/2010/07/18/2010-07-18_disabled_kids_feel_at_home_in_kitchen.html#ixzz0z9WdRxkr
Free State High School’s summer autism program encourages social interaction
Free State High School’s summer autism program encourages social interaction
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/jul/19/free-state-high-schools-summer-autism-program-enco/?city_local
From an outsider’s point of view, the scene looked pretty chaotic as students and staff from Free State High School’s summer autism program took a trip to a restaurant.
Of the dozen students on the outing, several were yelling, one was crying, and others expressed emphatically that they simply didn’t want to eat there.
One by one, staff members worked to calm the students.
Summer autism program winds to close
A summer program for autistic students came to a close Thursday. The program helps the students learn to function independently and will resume again in the fall. Enlarge video
A Fun Endeavor
The Free State Summer Autism Program takes a field trip to a dance studio for a lesson in yoga. Enlarge video
The program and the community outings are all part of social skills lessons the program emphasizes during the summer months when the students are away from regularly scheduled classes.
“These kids need to be out in the community as much as anybody else,” said staff member Emily Hughes. “Our biggest goal is to help them learn how to be independent.”
Through the five-week program, the staff works with the 13 enrolled students on handling money, ordering food at restaurants and how to act when interacting with the community.
Staff also learn about each student’s verbal and non-verbal behaviors as their way of communicating.
“It’s their way of telling us ‘this is uncomfortable,’” said Becky Armstrong, one of the lead teachers for the program and a speech pathologist at Free State. “Our job is to try and figure out what they’re trying to tell us.”
The program, which runs four hours each day, Monday through Thursday, builds and maintains the skills the students learn during the autism program at Free State during the school year.
“A lot of times there can be regression throughout the summer,” Armstrong said. “And then sometimes when they come back to school it takes a month or so to catch back up to where they were.”
The regular outings help to maintain those skills, said Jake Thibodeau, another lead teacher for the program.
Thibodeau, who engages the students in the classroom like a seasoned stand-up comic, said he worries that when the group is out in the community, the public sees only what at times can be disruptive and intense behavior.
“They’re just trying to express themselves,” he said. “They have wants and needs just like everybody else. ... I want the community to see these people as individuals.”
For the staff, the work can be challenging. The key, say the staff, is patience and kindness, leading to some strong relationships.
The summer program is wrapping up, but the students and many of the staff will work with each other once school starts in the fall.
On a recent outing to a dance studio, hugs, high-fives, praise and laughs kept the students, and the staff, smiling.
“This is why we do what we do. Because we love working with kids with special needs,” Armstrong said. “It’s a great, awesome, gratifying experience.”
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/jul/19/free-state-high-schools-summer-autism-program-enco/?city_local
From an outsider’s point of view, the scene looked pretty chaotic as students and staff from Free State High School’s summer autism program took a trip to a restaurant.
Of the dozen students on the outing, several were yelling, one was crying, and others expressed emphatically that they simply didn’t want to eat there.
One by one, staff members worked to calm the students.
Summer autism program winds to close
A summer program for autistic students came to a close Thursday. The program helps the students learn to function independently and will resume again in the fall. Enlarge video
A Fun Endeavor
The Free State Summer Autism Program takes a field trip to a dance studio for a lesson in yoga. Enlarge video
The program and the community outings are all part of social skills lessons the program emphasizes during the summer months when the students are away from regularly scheduled classes.
“These kids need to be out in the community as much as anybody else,” said staff member Emily Hughes. “Our biggest goal is to help them learn how to be independent.”
Through the five-week program, the staff works with the 13 enrolled students on handling money, ordering food at restaurants and how to act when interacting with the community.
Staff also learn about each student’s verbal and non-verbal behaviors as their way of communicating.
“It’s their way of telling us ‘this is uncomfortable,’” said Becky Armstrong, one of the lead teachers for the program and a speech pathologist at Free State. “Our job is to try and figure out what they’re trying to tell us.”
The program, which runs four hours each day, Monday through Thursday, builds and maintains the skills the students learn during the autism program at Free State during the school year.
“A lot of times there can be regression throughout the summer,” Armstrong said. “And then sometimes when they come back to school it takes a month or so to catch back up to where they were.”
The regular outings help to maintain those skills, said Jake Thibodeau, another lead teacher for the program.
Thibodeau, who engages the students in the classroom like a seasoned stand-up comic, said he worries that when the group is out in the community, the public sees only what at times can be disruptive and intense behavior.
“They’re just trying to express themselves,” he said. “They have wants and needs just like everybody else. ... I want the community to see these people as individuals.”
For the staff, the work can be challenging. The key, say the staff, is patience and kindness, leading to some strong relationships.
The summer program is wrapping up, but the students and many of the staff will work with each other once school starts in the fall.
On a recent outing to a dance studio, hugs, high-fives, praise and laughs kept the students, and the staff, smiling.
“This is why we do what we do. Because we love working with kids with special needs,” Armstrong said. “It’s a great, awesome, gratifying experience.”
Martin program to help developmentally disabled young adults transition to work, independence
Martin program to help developmentally disabled young adults transition to work, independence
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/aug/05/martin-county-program-to-help-developmentally-to/
Local young adults with developmental disabilities are getting the job and life skills training they need to succeed in the workforce thanks to a new learning program set to begin in Martin County this month.
Led by the Martin County School District and Martin Memorial Medical Center, the Project Search program aims to provide skills training and work experience for students ages 18 to 22 with disabilities ranging from autism to cerebral palsy.
After four years of research and planning, a kick-off celebration will be Aug. 11 at Martin Memorial Medical Center to acquaint students and parents with the faculty, staff and the facility. Attendees will get an exclusive sneak peek at the classroom furnished with new desks, computers and the latest technology, which is also on the hospital’s grounds.
“This experience is going to be uplifting for us and the patients, to be able to work alongside of individuals with unique challenges,” said Debbie Perez, supervisor of human recourses at the hospital. “It’s going to be great to see them shine.”
The state-funded program will help the students transition from high school.
Classes for the 12 participating students begin Aug. 24. A typical school day in the one-year program includes classroom instruction, where students will learn about being independent, responsible and punctual. They’ll also learn tasks such as how to use a cellular phone. Students will also get real-life job experience at the hospital. They will work internships in virtually every department, from the operating and emergency rooms to the nutritional and housekeeping departments.
“We’re all very, very excited. We’ve waited a long time for this for our students,” said Maryellen Quinn-Lunny of the School District. “Our hope is that after the program ends, the kids can apply for positions at the hospital.”
Hiring program graduates is already an option for the medical center, which hopes to hire the students upon completion of the course.
“Being one of the largest employers in the community, it’s important to keep on giving back to those who have helped us,” Perez said. “We want to diversify our workforce and want to see the students succeed beyond all expectation.”
Advocates for the Rights of the Challenged and Helping People Succeed have also been an integral part in the program’s launch on the Treasure Coast. Both organizations are providing their services and trained instructors and counselors for the students.
“We’re all collaborating for the success of the students,” said Keith Muniz of ARC. “This program provides a seamless transition from school life to adult life.”
Project Search was launched nationally in 1996 and has more than 140 sites in 42 states with private and public employers. Countries as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia have adopted the model.
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2010/aug/05/martin-county-program-to-help-developmentally-to/
Local young adults with developmental disabilities are getting the job and life skills training they need to succeed in the workforce thanks to a new learning program set to begin in Martin County this month.
Led by the Martin County School District and Martin Memorial Medical Center, the Project Search program aims to provide skills training and work experience for students ages 18 to 22 with disabilities ranging from autism to cerebral palsy.
After four years of research and planning, a kick-off celebration will be Aug. 11 at Martin Memorial Medical Center to acquaint students and parents with the faculty, staff and the facility. Attendees will get an exclusive sneak peek at the classroom furnished with new desks, computers and the latest technology, which is also on the hospital’s grounds.
“This experience is going to be uplifting for us and the patients, to be able to work alongside of individuals with unique challenges,” said Debbie Perez, supervisor of human recourses at the hospital. “It’s going to be great to see them shine.”
The state-funded program will help the students transition from high school.
Classes for the 12 participating students begin Aug. 24. A typical school day in the one-year program includes classroom instruction, where students will learn about being independent, responsible and punctual. They’ll also learn tasks such as how to use a cellular phone. Students will also get real-life job experience at the hospital. They will work internships in virtually every department, from the operating and emergency rooms to the nutritional and housekeeping departments.
“We’re all very, very excited. We’ve waited a long time for this for our students,” said Maryellen Quinn-Lunny of the School District. “Our hope is that after the program ends, the kids can apply for positions at the hospital.”
Hiring program graduates is already an option for the medical center, which hopes to hire the students upon completion of the course.
“Being one of the largest employers in the community, it’s important to keep on giving back to those who have helped us,” Perez said. “We want to diversify our workforce and want to see the students succeed beyond all expectation.”
Advocates for the Rights of the Challenged and Helping People Succeed have also been an integral part in the program’s launch on the Treasure Coast. Both organizations are providing their services and trained instructors and counselors for the students.
“We’re all collaborating for the success of the students,” said Keith Muniz of ARC. “This program provides a seamless transition from school life to adult life.”
Project Search was launched nationally in 1996 and has more than 140 sites in 42 states with private and public employers. Countries as far away as the United Kingdom and Australia have adopted the model.
College-bound kids with learning disabilities get help
College-bound kids with learning disabilities get help
Unlike most high school kids her age, Stephanie Hunter spent the summer before her senior year in a classroom.
Hunter, now 19, was diagnosed with a learning disability in the third grade. She says her hardest class was geometry because she struggles with math problems that involve shapes and angles.
In high school, Hunter says, teachers gave her the support that she needed — tutoring and extra time to take tests. But college, she worried, would be significantly different.
That's why she enrolled in the Project Access Summer Institute, a program for high school students with learning disabilities at Howard Community College in Columbia, Md., her hometown. The program meets weekdays for a month and costs about $550. Hunter says she learned how to seek help in college, and how to improve her study habits and test scores.
Colleges and universities across the nation are increasingly offering programs such as Project Access to help prepare incoming students who have learning disabilities. Since 2001, the number of such programs has increased tenfold, from 22 to more than 250 today, says Debra Hart, the director of education and transition for the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.
A 2008 survey by the federal government showed that more than 200,000 college students nationwide have been diagnosed with a learning disability, such as dyslexia. The Department of Education now offers grants to post-secondary schools to establish transition programs for students with learning disabilities who want to go to college, and Hart predicts that the number of such programs is "only going to increase."
Even so, despite the increasing number of programs, advocates and others say some students with learning disabilities still go to college ill-prepared.
Linda Schnapp, assistant director of Project Access, says colleges expect students with learning disabilities to be largely self-sufficient. In high school, students might have relied on their parents for academic support and guidance. But in college, students need to advocate for themselves in order to receive the tutoring, extended time and other services they may need. Schnapp says many students "just aren't prepared to do that" unless they attend transition programs.
Hunter says one of the most important lessons she learned in Project Access was fundamental: how to request academic support from her college. The lesson might seem easy, but at many colleges, the obstacles are daunting.
Most colleges require students to submit documents explaining their disability, says James Wendorf, director of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, a non-profit advocacy group. School disability specialists and private psychologists administer standardized tests to determine whether the student has a disability. If the tests reveal a disability, the student is given documents to show to the college's disability office.
Wendorf says the documents can't be more than 3 years old — a rule that also applies to students seeking extra time on the SAT and ACT tests.
If students do not provide recent documentation, they must undergo additional tests to prove that their condition is serious and still exists, says Scott Lissner, American with Disabilities Act coordinator for Ohio State University. The cost of getting more tests can amount to $10,000 in some parts of the country, says Laura Kaloi, public policy director for the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
Most insurance companies do not cover educational testing, says Stuart Segal, director of the office for students with disabilities at the University of Michigan.
Students who can't afford to get retested might drop out or struggle to finish school. "These kids are lost to the system," says Joanne Simon, an attorney from New York who represents disabled students. "It limits their future."
Such obstacles bother Jim Kessler, director of the disability center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. "Once you're learning disabled, you're always learning disabled" he says. "I don't know why people have to prove that they have a right to the same education as everyone else."
Schnapp says in her 14 years working at Project Access, she has seen students achieve remarkable success in college. Andy Kostas is among them.
Kostas attended Project Access in 2009 and now is a program mentor. "I think the main thing that Project Access helped him with was he knew where to get the help he needed, how to get tutors, how to get counseling," his mother, Gail Kostas, says.
Her son plans to graduate from Howard Community College and pursue his dream of working as an athletic trainer for a professional sports team. He says it would be "pretty cool" to work for the Washington Nationals baseball team.
Unlike most high school kids her age, Stephanie Hunter spent the summer before her senior year in a classroom.
Hunter, now 19, was diagnosed with a learning disability in the third grade. She says her hardest class was geometry because she struggles with math problems that involve shapes and angles.
In high school, Hunter says, teachers gave her the support that she needed — tutoring and extra time to take tests. But college, she worried, would be significantly different.
That's why she enrolled in the Project Access Summer Institute, a program for high school students with learning disabilities at Howard Community College in Columbia, Md., her hometown. The program meets weekdays for a month and costs about $550. Hunter says she learned how to seek help in college, and how to improve her study habits and test scores.
Colleges and universities across the nation are increasingly offering programs such as Project Access to help prepare incoming students who have learning disabilities. Since 2001, the number of such programs has increased tenfold, from 22 to more than 250 today, says Debra Hart, the director of education and transition for the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts-Boston.
A 2008 survey by the federal government showed that more than 200,000 college students nationwide have been diagnosed with a learning disability, such as dyslexia. The Department of Education now offers grants to post-secondary schools to establish transition programs for students with learning disabilities who want to go to college, and Hart predicts that the number of such programs is "only going to increase."
Even so, despite the increasing number of programs, advocates and others say some students with learning disabilities still go to college ill-prepared.
Linda Schnapp, assistant director of Project Access, says colleges expect students with learning disabilities to be largely self-sufficient. In high school, students might have relied on their parents for academic support and guidance. But in college, students need to advocate for themselves in order to receive the tutoring, extended time and other services they may need. Schnapp says many students "just aren't prepared to do that" unless they attend transition programs.
Hunter says one of the most important lessons she learned in Project Access was fundamental: how to request academic support from her college. The lesson might seem easy, but at many colleges, the obstacles are daunting.
Most colleges require students to submit documents explaining their disability, says James Wendorf, director of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, a non-profit advocacy group. School disability specialists and private psychologists administer standardized tests to determine whether the student has a disability. If the tests reveal a disability, the student is given documents to show to the college's disability office.
Wendorf says the documents can't be more than 3 years old — a rule that also applies to students seeking extra time on the SAT and ACT tests.
If students do not provide recent documentation, they must undergo additional tests to prove that their condition is serious and still exists, says Scott Lissner, American with Disabilities Act coordinator for Ohio State University. The cost of getting more tests can amount to $10,000 in some parts of the country, says Laura Kaloi, public policy director for the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
Most insurance companies do not cover educational testing, says Stuart Segal, director of the office for students with disabilities at the University of Michigan.
Students who can't afford to get retested might drop out or struggle to finish school. "These kids are lost to the system," says Joanne Simon, an attorney from New York who represents disabled students. "It limits their future."
Such obstacles bother Jim Kessler, director of the disability center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. "Once you're learning disabled, you're always learning disabled" he says. "I don't know why people have to prove that they have a right to the same education as everyone else."
Schnapp says in her 14 years working at Project Access, she has seen students achieve remarkable success in college. Andy Kostas is among them.
Kostas attended Project Access in 2009 and now is a program mentor. "I think the main thing that Project Access helped him with was he knew where to get the help he needed, how to get tutors, how to get counseling," his mother, Gail Kostas, says.
Her son plans to graduate from Howard Community College and pursue his dream of working as an athletic trainer for a professional sports team. He says it would be "pretty cool" to work for the Washington Nationals baseball team.
U. of I. opens state-of-the-art dorm for students with disabilities
U. of I. opens state-of-the-art dorm for students with disabilities
Facility marks new milestone for university, already a leader in disability services
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-u-of-i-disability-dorm-20100818,0,796860.story?page=1
CHAMPAIGN — With very limited use of her arms and legs, Kelsey Rozema has needed her parents' help with most daily tasks — getting out of bed, showering, putting on a coat and even opening a water bottle. In 18 years, they've been apart for only six nights.
So moving into a college dorm this week — and away from the reliance on her family — is even more of a milestone for Rozema than for the thousands of other wide-eyed freshmen arriving this week at the University of Illinois, a ritual that will be repeated on college campuses throughout the country in coming weeks.
It helped that she moved into the university's first new residence hall in 44 years and the most user-friendly dorm in the country for students with severe physical disabilities. As Rozema wheeled into her single room for the first time Tuesday, a disability advocate showed off the features: a wireless pager that will call for help 24 hours a day and a remote-controlled ceiling lift system to transport her from her bed to the in-room bathroom.
"That's cool, Kelsey. You will be sailing through here," said her mother, Mary, taking a break from carefully tucking orange and turquoise sheets into her daughter's bed. After several tries, she gave up on getting a dust ruffle to fit on the hospital-style bed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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As much as moving into Nugent Hall was a remarkable accomplishment for Rozema, it also was momentous for the U. of I. Already recognized as a front-runner in disability services for students, the U. of I. dorm will allow students with the most severe disabilities — all use motorized wheelchairs or scooters — to get the personalized care they need while being integrated with typical students.
They will live on the first floor, with about 150 other students on the floors above them, a number that will expand to 500 when the dorm is completed in two years. The building is connected to a new dining hall, convenience store and meeting spaces.
Down the hall from Rozema, Ben Fultz, 21, a transfer student with cerebral palsy, also moved in Tuesday. His mother, Ellen, was overwhelmed by the features, remarking how even the window blinds can be closed with a button. "It is truly better than what we have at home," she said.
The sinks, thermostats and light switches are at an accessible height. Dorm room doors open by waving a wireless card. Faucets are sensor-activated. And the roll-in showers come with chairs.
But most unique are the personal assistants, known as PAs, who live in the building to help students shower, use the bathroom and hook backpacks on their wheelchairs before leaving for class. Most are U. of I. students. After the Rozemas accidentally hit the pager while putting away books Tuesday, a PA arrived in under two minutes. "Did you buzz?" she asked.
Through the program, residents learn how to hire, schedule and manage their PAs. In a newsletter last year about the life-changing program, one resident observed that students could have conversations like, "Which PA wipes the best after you use the bathroom?"
All of the features make Mary Rozema feel slightly more at ease about being separated from her only child.
"My worst fear as a mom is, what if she is just lying there and needs help?" she said.
Kelsey Rozema acknowledged having some last-minute anxiety before leaving southwest suburban New Lenox for Champaign. "I wasn't worried until last night, and I was like, 'I am leaving home. I am leaving my parents,'" said Rozema, who plans to major in English and art history.
In all, 17 students with severe physical disabilities will live this year on the first floor of the new hall, named for Tim Nugent, who in 1948 founded the university's division of disability services, the first higher education program of its kind in the world.
"It is a remarkable statement about the commitment of this campus to ensure that those who are most marginalized in their access, if they have the desire and the capacity and the willingness to pursue a degree … Illinois is committed to making that a reality," said Brad Hedrick, director of the university's disability services.
The opening of the dorm continues the U. of I.'s legacy of making college accessible: It was the first college to introduce curb cuts, offer bus routes equipped with wheelchair lifts and have a wheelchair sports program.
There are only about five U.S. colleges that offer some kind of personal assistant services, and until now, U. of I. students with severe disabilities lived in a stand-alone facility called Beckwith Hall.
Students at other colleges hire assistants through a private agency — or stay close to home for school. Most campuses set aside dorm space for students who use wheelchairs or have significant disabilities, similar to a hotel, said Richard Allegra of the Association on Higher Education and Disability.
Allegra called the U. of I.'s program "a rare concept."
Students get five hours of PA help a day and can schedule the hours around their classes and social life.
That will be a change for Fultz, who previously studied at the University of Rochester. He said it was difficult to find an assistant willing to help him get to bed after 9 p.m. The aides were more accustomed to the schedules of elderly clients than college students.
U. of I. students pay the standard $11,000 for room and board, and then about $18,000 for the support services. Costs may be covered through the state's vocational rehabilitation program.
Kelsey Rozema said she will rotate between about a half-dozen personal assistants who she scheduled to help with bathroom breaks, showering and getting in and out of bed. The goal is for students to learn independent living skills and transition to more mainstream housing, whether on a higher floor, in a different dorm or to an apartment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Born with a rare brittle bone disease, Rozema has had more than 300 fractures in her life, starting with a femur fracture in utero. She speaks nonchalantly about the broken bones — "just a couple of broken ribs in the last couple of months" — but she also packed codeine because the pain from just moving out of her wheelchair can be hard to bear.
After spending the morning unpacking, the Rozemas went to the adjacent dining hall, where the fountain drink station is at a height Kelsey can reach. Out of routine, Mary began pouring soup into her bowl before realizing it was at an accessible height.
"Here, get your own soup," she said.
The family then sat down to eat. After focusing all morning on arranging Kelsey's books, clothes, makeup and posters in her room, Mary unexpectedly became overwhelmed with emotion as she looked to her daughter.
"I promised I wouldn't do it," she said, putting a napkin up to her nose and mouth and looking away to stifle the tears.
"Don't make me cry," Kelsey said.
Her mom couldn't help it and turned back to Kelsey. "This is what I always dreamed of, for you to one day go to college. I am so proud of you."
Facility marks new milestone for university, already a leader in disability services
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-u-of-i-disability-dorm-20100818,0,796860.story?page=1
CHAMPAIGN — With very limited use of her arms and legs, Kelsey Rozema has needed her parents' help with most daily tasks — getting out of bed, showering, putting on a coat and even opening a water bottle. In 18 years, they've been apart for only six nights.
So moving into a college dorm this week — and away from the reliance on her family — is even more of a milestone for Rozema than for the thousands of other wide-eyed freshmen arriving this week at the University of Illinois, a ritual that will be repeated on college campuses throughout the country in coming weeks.
It helped that she moved into the university's first new residence hall in 44 years and the most user-friendly dorm in the country for students with severe physical disabilities. As Rozema wheeled into her single room for the first time Tuesday, a disability advocate showed off the features: a wireless pager that will call for help 24 hours a day and a remote-controlled ceiling lift system to transport her from her bed to the in-room bathroom.
"That's cool, Kelsey. You will be sailing through here," said her mother, Mary, taking a break from carefully tucking orange and turquoise sheets into her daughter's bed. After several tries, she gave up on getting a dust ruffle to fit on the hospital-style bed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Register with Chicago Tribune and receive free newsletters and alerts >>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As much as moving into Nugent Hall was a remarkable accomplishment for Rozema, it also was momentous for the U. of I. Already recognized as a front-runner in disability services for students, the U. of I. dorm will allow students with the most severe disabilities — all use motorized wheelchairs or scooters — to get the personalized care they need while being integrated with typical students.
They will live on the first floor, with about 150 other students on the floors above them, a number that will expand to 500 when the dorm is completed in two years. The building is connected to a new dining hall, convenience store and meeting spaces.
Down the hall from Rozema, Ben Fultz, 21, a transfer student with cerebral palsy, also moved in Tuesday. His mother, Ellen, was overwhelmed by the features, remarking how even the window blinds can be closed with a button. "It is truly better than what we have at home," she said.
The sinks, thermostats and light switches are at an accessible height. Dorm room doors open by waving a wireless card. Faucets are sensor-activated. And the roll-in showers come with chairs.
But most unique are the personal assistants, known as PAs, who live in the building to help students shower, use the bathroom and hook backpacks on their wheelchairs before leaving for class. Most are U. of I. students. After the Rozemas accidentally hit the pager while putting away books Tuesday, a PA arrived in under two minutes. "Did you buzz?" she asked.
Through the program, residents learn how to hire, schedule and manage their PAs. In a newsletter last year about the life-changing program, one resident observed that students could have conversations like, "Which PA wipes the best after you use the bathroom?"
All of the features make Mary Rozema feel slightly more at ease about being separated from her only child.
"My worst fear as a mom is, what if she is just lying there and needs help?" she said.
Kelsey Rozema acknowledged having some last-minute anxiety before leaving southwest suburban New Lenox for Champaign. "I wasn't worried until last night, and I was like, 'I am leaving home. I am leaving my parents,'" said Rozema, who plans to major in English and art history.
In all, 17 students with severe physical disabilities will live this year on the first floor of the new hall, named for Tim Nugent, who in 1948 founded the university's division of disability services, the first higher education program of its kind in the world.
"It is a remarkable statement about the commitment of this campus to ensure that those who are most marginalized in their access, if they have the desire and the capacity and the willingness to pursue a degree … Illinois is committed to making that a reality," said Brad Hedrick, director of the university's disability services.
The opening of the dorm continues the U. of I.'s legacy of making college accessible: It was the first college to introduce curb cuts, offer bus routes equipped with wheelchair lifts and have a wheelchair sports program.
There are only about five U.S. colleges that offer some kind of personal assistant services, and until now, U. of I. students with severe disabilities lived in a stand-alone facility called Beckwith Hall.
Students at other colleges hire assistants through a private agency — or stay close to home for school. Most campuses set aside dorm space for students who use wheelchairs or have significant disabilities, similar to a hotel, said Richard Allegra of the Association on Higher Education and Disability.
Allegra called the U. of I.'s program "a rare concept."
Students get five hours of PA help a day and can schedule the hours around their classes and social life.
That will be a change for Fultz, who previously studied at the University of Rochester. He said it was difficult to find an assistant willing to help him get to bed after 9 p.m. The aides were more accustomed to the schedules of elderly clients than college students.
U. of I. students pay the standard $11,000 for room and board, and then about $18,000 for the support services. Costs may be covered through the state's vocational rehabilitation program.
Kelsey Rozema said she will rotate between about a half-dozen personal assistants who she scheduled to help with bathroom breaks, showering and getting in and out of bed. The goal is for students to learn independent living skills and transition to more mainstream housing, whether on a higher floor, in a different dorm or to an apartment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Register with Chicago Tribune and receive free newsletters and alerts >>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Born with a rare brittle bone disease, Rozema has had more than 300 fractures in her life, starting with a femur fracture in utero. She speaks nonchalantly about the broken bones — "just a couple of broken ribs in the last couple of months" — but she also packed codeine because the pain from just moving out of her wheelchair can be hard to bear.
After spending the morning unpacking, the Rozemas went to the adjacent dining hall, where the fountain drink station is at a height Kelsey can reach. Out of routine, Mary began pouring soup into her bowl before realizing it was at an accessible height.
"Here, get your own soup," she said.
The family then sat down to eat. After focusing all morning on arranging Kelsey's books, clothes, makeup and posters in her room, Mary unexpectedly became overwhelmed with emotion as she looked to her daughter.
"I promised I wouldn't do it," she said, putting a napkin up to her nose and mouth and looking away to stifle the tears.
"Don't make me cry," Kelsey said.
Her mom couldn't help it and turned back to Kelsey. "This is what I always dreamed of, for you to one day go to college. I am so proud of you."
Leeds man gives autistic people a voice with magazine
Leeds man gives autistic people a voice with magazine
After years of struggling to find a job, a social entrepreneur is proving Asperger's Syndrome is no barrier to success
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/aug/23/blogpost
A Leeds man is championing equality for people with autism - after successfully setting up his own independent enterprise in the city.
Luke Aylward, 25 from Swarcliffe, struggled for three and a half years to find employment after graduating with a degree in journalism from the University of Lincoln in 2006.
Luke has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of the psychological disorder autism which causes difficulties in social interaction. The condition meant he often struggled in high-pressure situations such as job interviews and was left with his self-esteem severely dented following years of rejection from potential employers.
Instead of giving up, Luke decided to look at other opportunities such as launching his own business. With the help of Sharing the Success, the Leeds Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) Luke transformed his experience of being unemployed and into a social enterprise and launched a magazine called 'Aspire' which aimed to help others with the same condition.
When looking for direction from people who had been in similar situations, Luke, who was diagnosed with Aspergers as a child, could not find magazines on autism which contained an autistic voice, rather than those from professionals working in the disability sector.
Platform for autistic community
This inspired him to set-up 'Aspire', specifically written by and for people on the autistic spectrum. Aspire provides a platform for the autistic community to discuss issues which affect them, their supporters and friends.
The magazine contains features and articles with advice on various job opportunities, as well as inspirational stories of people who have the condition but who have successful careers in a variety of professions.
Luke said:
"After a long time of feeling incredibly frustrated at not being able to get a job, I was absolutely overjoyed to receive the grant I received from Unltd - without it, I would not have been able to make my idea become something which I feel is making a really positive contribution to the autistic community.
"It feels great to become my own boss and work on something I feel passionate about - producing a channel of communication which gives people with autism a strong voice.
"This magazine challenges preconceptions and will give the autistic community practical advice and tips and the confidence to find employment or start their own business."
Last year, he visited the Urban Biz centre, funded by Sharing the Success, a programme designed to regenerate marginalised communities by helping residents consider enterprise and self-employment as a career option.
Charity helps social entrepreneurs
After discussing what opportunities were available to him, Luke was pointed to Unltd, also funded by Sharing the Success. Unltd is a charity which helps social entrepreneurs by providing a complete package of funding and support. Luke was given a £2,450 grant to make his idea a reality and last summer he started to print trial copies of the monthly magazine which he largely researched and wrote himself.
Luke received much positive feedback from readers who like the fact that the magazine focuses on content which highlights the opportunities available for people with autism and expands on their creative potential, while challenging stereotypical views.
Luke published his first edition of the magazine in March 2010 and is now on his fourth issue. He currently sells 100-150 copies at £2 for a printed edition around Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Stoke to groups and organisations as well as 'Aspire' merchandise such as badges and posters at stalls in Leeds' Shine and Hillside centres.
Luke now regularly commissions other writers who suffer from the condition to submit articles and features and looks on online forums to connect to the wider autistic community and find stories.
Interview with artist
Luke's highlight of working on the magazine so far was the opportunity to interview Steve Frisby, a successful artist with Asperger's Syndrome who paints complex geometric and fractal designs and actually attributes his ability to dream up complex geometry to his condition, which he describes as a "state of inner balance that is largely misunderstood".
The two have since remained in contact and Steve's work has appeared in the magazine.
In the future, Luke would like to expand his distribution further around the UK and is working on a subscription service in order to get regular orders from groups around the country who distribute them.
Urban Biz gives him practical business advice on how to develop his business through networking events and meetings.
After years of struggling to find a job, a social entrepreneur is proving Asperger's Syndrome is no barrier to success
http://www.guardian.co.uk/leeds/2010/aug/23/blogpost
A Leeds man is championing equality for people with autism - after successfully setting up his own independent enterprise in the city.
Luke Aylward, 25 from Swarcliffe, struggled for three and a half years to find employment after graduating with a degree in journalism from the University of Lincoln in 2006.
Luke has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of the psychological disorder autism which causes difficulties in social interaction. The condition meant he often struggled in high-pressure situations such as job interviews and was left with his self-esteem severely dented following years of rejection from potential employers.
Instead of giving up, Luke decided to look at other opportunities such as launching his own business. With the help of Sharing the Success, the Leeds Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) Luke transformed his experience of being unemployed and into a social enterprise and launched a magazine called 'Aspire' which aimed to help others with the same condition.
When looking for direction from people who had been in similar situations, Luke, who was diagnosed with Aspergers as a child, could not find magazines on autism which contained an autistic voice, rather than those from professionals working in the disability sector.
Platform for autistic community
This inspired him to set-up 'Aspire', specifically written by and for people on the autistic spectrum. Aspire provides a platform for the autistic community to discuss issues which affect them, their supporters and friends.
The magazine contains features and articles with advice on various job opportunities, as well as inspirational stories of people who have the condition but who have successful careers in a variety of professions.
Luke said:
"After a long time of feeling incredibly frustrated at not being able to get a job, I was absolutely overjoyed to receive the grant I received from Unltd - without it, I would not have been able to make my idea become something which I feel is making a really positive contribution to the autistic community.
"It feels great to become my own boss and work on something I feel passionate about - producing a channel of communication which gives people with autism a strong voice.
"This magazine challenges preconceptions and will give the autistic community practical advice and tips and the confidence to find employment or start their own business."
Last year, he visited the Urban Biz centre, funded by Sharing the Success, a programme designed to regenerate marginalised communities by helping residents consider enterprise and self-employment as a career option.
Charity helps social entrepreneurs
After discussing what opportunities were available to him, Luke was pointed to Unltd, also funded by Sharing the Success. Unltd is a charity which helps social entrepreneurs by providing a complete package of funding and support. Luke was given a £2,450 grant to make his idea a reality and last summer he started to print trial copies of the monthly magazine which he largely researched and wrote himself.
Luke received much positive feedback from readers who like the fact that the magazine focuses on content which highlights the opportunities available for people with autism and expands on their creative potential, while challenging stereotypical views.
Luke published his first edition of the magazine in March 2010 and is now on his fourth issue. He currently sells 100-150 copies at £2 for a printed edition around Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle and Stoke to groups and organisations as well as 'Aspire' merchandise such as badges and posters at stalls in Leeds' Shine and Hillside centres.
Luke now regularly commissions other writers who suffer from the condition to submit articles and features and looks on online forums to connect to the wider autistic community and find stories.
Interview with artist
Luke's highlight of working on the magazine so far was the opportunity to interview Steve Frisby, a successful artist with Asperger's Syndrome who paints complex geometric and fractal designs and actually attributes his ability to dream up complex geometry to his condition, which he describes as a "state of inner balance that is largely misunderstood".
The two have since remained in contact and Steve's work has appeared in the magazine.
In the future, Luke would like to expand his distribution further around the UK and is working on a subscription service in order to get regular orders from groups around the country who distribute them.
Urban Biz gives him practical business advice on how to develop his business through networking events and meetings.
Navigating admissions with a learning disability
Navigating admissions with a learning disability
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/campus-overload/2010/08/navigating_college_admissions.html
Increased awareness of learning challenges such as dyslexia and attention-deficit disorder, together with improved diagnosis and treatment, has helped millions of students improve their academic performance. But, as they enter their senior year of high school and begin the college admissions process, they face a whole new set of challenges. Now is the time to begin preparing to meet them.
Here are seven things parents of college-bound students with learning challenges should start doing right away:
1) Update diagnostic testing results
In order to obtain supporting services from a college, learning challenges need to be documented via accepted diagnostic testing. These tests should begin as early as possible and continue at least through the senior year of high school. Additional testing can further refine a diagnosis or uncover other issues that may affect academic performance.
2) Consider requesting special accommodations for standardized tests
Certain learning challenges can affect a student's ability to take standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT. Upon proof of a learning challenge, test administrators may allow extended time for taking tests, the use of computers for essay questions or screens to block distractions. Especially if test scores to date are unsatisfactory, consider requesting such special accommodations for a re-take.
3) Prepare to disclose learning challenges
Parents need not worry about their children being branded with the scarlet letters "ADD," or other conditions. Apart from legal bars against discrimination such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, most colleges have a progressive attitude towards learning challenges. In fact, acknowledgment of these issues can help with admissions by explaining any performance gaps. It also ensures that students can obtain the supporting services they need to succeed once admitted.
4) Begin establishing independence early
Coping with new found freedom can be hard for any student, much less one who uses a highly structured system to manage a learning challenge. The time to deal with this is not the freshman year of college, or even during a stressful senior year of high school. Begin helping to establish self-reliance during the more relaxed days of summer, so the students can assume responsibility for taking their own medication, renewing prescriptions, adhering to a schedule, etc.
5) Ask what services prospective colleges offer
Many colleges have services to assist students with learning challenges, including specialized advising and counseling, professional tutoring and academic assistance and new learning technologies. However, such services typically are less comprehensive than those offered in high school. Find out which are available, which are professional or provided by peers and whether additional costs apply.
6) Find out about classroom accommodations for learning challenges
Many, if not most, colleges now try to sensitize faculty members to learning challenges among students. As a result, many professors are willing to accommodate requests for allowing lectures to be recorded, scribes and note-takers and extra time for test-taking. Check the reputation of prospective colleges and academic departments for such flexibility before applying. And, since most faculty members will not know a student's individual circumstances unless told, students will need to be proactive about informing their teachers.
7) Explore whether a college offers suitable living and studying alternatives
For many students, especially those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, distractions can be highly disruptive. A student who is used to closing her door to study may have trouble shutting out the cacophony in a suite with several roommates. See whether appropriate arrangements are available, including single dorm rooms or private study carrels.
Managed properly, the college admissions process, and the transition from high school to college, can be seamless for students with learning challenges. But success won't come without effort, and the time for students and their parents to begin making that effort is now.
About President Rooney
Paula M. Rooney has served as the president of Dean College since 1995. Founded in 1865, Dean is a private residential college in Franklin, Mass., midway between Boston and Providence. With 950 full-time students and 500 part-time students, Dean offers baccalaureate and associate degree programs in disciplines such as liberal studies, business and the arts. It is the only college in the Northeast to offer both A.A. and B.A. degrees in dance.
Campus Overload is a daily must-read for all college students. Make sure to bookmark http://washingtonpost.com/campus-overload. You can also follow me on Twitter and fan Campus Overload on Facebook.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/campus-overload/2010/08/navigating_college_admissions.html
Increased awareness of learning challenges such as dyslexia and attention-deficit disorder, together with improved diagnosis and treatment, has helped millions of students improve their academic performance. But, as they enter their senior year of high school and begin the college admissions process, they face a whole new set of challenges. Now is the time to begin preparing to meet them.
Here are seven things parents of college-bound students with learning challenges should start doing right away:
1) Update diagnostic testing results
In order to obtain supporting services from a college, learning challenges need to be documented via accepted diagnostic testing. These tests should begin as early as possible and continue at least through the senior year of high school. Additional testing can further refine a diagnosis or uncover other issues that may affect academic performance.
2) Consider requesting special accommodations for standardized tests
Certain learning challenges can affect a student's ability to take standardized tests such as the SAT or ACT. Upon proof of a learning challenge, test administrators may allow extended time for taking tests, the use of computers for essay questions or screens to block distractions. Especially if test scores to date are unsatisfactory, consider requesting such special accommodations for a re-take.
3) Prepare to disclose learning challenges
Parents need not worry about their children being branded with the scarlet letters "ADD," or other conditions. Apart from legal bars against discrimination such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, most colleges have a progressive attitude towards learning challenges. In fact, acknowledgment of these issues can help with admissions by explaining any performance gaps. It also ensures that students can obtain the supporting services they need to succeed once admitted.
4) Begin establishing independence early
Coping with new found freedom can be hard for any student, much less one who uses a highly structured system to manage a learning challenge. The time to deal with this is not the freshman year of college, or even during a stressful senior year of high school. Begin helping to establish self-reliance during the more relaxed days of summer, so the students can assume responsibility for taking their own medication, renewing prescriptions, adhering to a schedule, etc.
5) Ask what services prospective colleges offer
Many colleges have services to assist students with learning challenges, including specialized advising and counseling, professional tutoring and academic assistance and new learning technologies. However, such services typically are less comprehensive than those offered in high school. Find out which are available, which are professional or provided by peers and whether additional costs apply.
6) Find out about classroom accommodations for learning challenges
Many, if not most, colleges now try to sensitize faculty members to learning challenges among students. As a result, many professors are willing to accommodate requests for allowing lectures to be recorded, scribes and note-takers and extra time for test-taking. Check the reputation of prospective colleges and academic departments for such flexibility before applying. And, since most faculty members will not know a student's individual circumstances unless told, students will need to be proactive about informing their teachers.
7) Explore whether a college offers suitable living and studying alternatives
For many students, especially those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, distractions can be highly disruptive. A student who is used to closing her door to study may have trouble shutting out the cacophony in a suite with several roommates. See whether appropriate arrangements are available, including single dorm rooms or private study carrels.
Managed properly, the college admissions process, and the transition from high school to college, can be seamless for students with learning challenges. But success won't come without effort, and the time for students and their parents to begin making that effort is now.
About President Rooney
Paula M. Rooney has served as the president of Dean College since 1995. Founded in 1865, Dean is a private residential college in Franklin, Mass., midway between Boston and Providence. With 950 full-time students and 500 part-time students, Dean offers baccalaureate and associate degree programs in disciplines such as liberal studies, business and the arts. It is the only college in the Northeast to offer both A.A. and B.A. degrees in dance.
Campus Overload is a daily must-read for all college students. Make sure to bookmark http://washingtonpost.com/campus-overload. You can also follow me on Twitter and fan Campus Overload on Facebook.
Taking the next step
Taking the next step
http://www.northjersey.com/news/101949508_Taking_the_next_step.html?c=y&page=2
Each year, students throughout the country don caps and gowns as they celebrate the completion of high school. Senator Orrin Hatch was right when he said, "There is a good reason they call these ceremonies commencement exercises. Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning."
This is a time when students embark on a new path from high school to post-secondary education or employment opportunities. Students with special needs and their families are beginning that same journey, leaving behind their IEP’s or education plans, and charting a new course that may seem daunting at first. Like a ship taking its maiden voyage, the future is far easier to navigate with a well-planned map in hand.
Research and Planning
Moving from high school into the adult world is a formal process involving cooperative planning between students, their parents and the school district. By law, transition services for special-ed children must begin with IEP teams creating a statement of strategies to assist the student in preparing for post-secondary activities.
Upon entering high school, at the age of 14, students and their parents begin transition planning along with the child study team. Alice Hunnicutt, the Project Director for Transition from School to Adult Life for NJ SPAN, notes, "The IEP must include a statement of the student’s strengths, interests and preferences; identification of a course of study and related strategies/activities that are consistent with the strengths, interests and preferences, and are intended to help students develop or attain post-secondary goals related to training, education, employment and independent living, if appropriate."
At the age of 16, Hunnicutt says a student’s IEP must include measurable goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments. She emphasizes the need for "appropriate transition services that are results-oriented to support the student as he moves from school to post-school activities." This includes everything from post-secondary education and integrated employment to adult services, independent living and community participation.
When students are ready to make decisions about the future, there are a number of resources that can help. Hunnicutt suggests the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. "(It’s) an adult agency that provides technical consultation to students in high school regarding career paths and direct service to students after they graduate from high school," she notes.
The SPAN website is also a good resource. It includes sample strategies developed by the New Jersey Office of Special Education Programs. These strategies can be used in developing a transition plan within an IEP. "Transition takes a look at a bigger picture, and when families first start the process, it can be overwhelming," explains Hunnicutt. "These samples are meant to help families think about things that may be new to them."
Strategies are divided into different categories. Each section offers suggested activities to help with planning and preparation. Under "Instruction," for example, activities include determining the need for accommodations for SAT testing, exploring admission requirements for vocational school and participating in extracurricular activities. Under "Related Services," suggestions include identifying potential post-school providers of recreation therapy and applying for eligibility with NJ Transit’s Access Link program. There are sections for "Community Experiences," "Employment," "Post School Adult Living,"and "Daily Living Skills."
After high school, students have options that include vocational training, continuing and adult education and college. They also have non-school options, such as supported employment and community-based training, independent living and adult services. Creating a plan for the future means considering a student’s preferences and interests, as well as his abilities. Determining a direction requires knowing the available options. With the cooperation of parents and school personnel working together with students, the next step is to create a realistic plan.
Setting Goals
The future holds a myriad of possibilities. Navigating the list of options can be daunting, but there are so many resources available to help. School districts are often a parent’s first stop. "Bergen County Special Services provides transition services to all of their students," explains Mary Bosco, Supervisor of Educational Enterprises/Transition Services. "Our district can also offer these services to other districts when they contract with Bergen County Special Services through our Educational Enterprises’ Division." She notes that both public and private schools have accessed these transition services.
The staff offers students the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities, such as job shadowing, industry tours, internships, job development and even paid employment. "Every junior in one of our Bergen County Special Services high school programs is assigned a job coach," Bosco notes. "As part of transitioning a student from school to the adult world, the preparation to identify a student’s interests, preferences and skills is critical. Creating the right job match for both a student and an employer is the key to successful job retention."
Through this kind of careful planning, students are given the chance to make informed career choices in order to obtain competitive employment or other post-secondary opportunities.
Students are not sent out into the workforce without support. "Job coaches support the students as they enter the community and workforce for internships, assessments, travel training and employment," explains Bosco. "Job coaches support both students and their families in creating the linkages to adult services so that they can have continued support when they leave the educational setting."
Private organizations offer similar support. Advancing Opportunities has several regional offices in New Jersey and provides services, including transition planning, assistive technology, consumer advocacy, educational support, supported employment and residential services. Their transition specialists assist with numerous activities such as attending college classes and doing volunteer work in the community. "We provide one-on-one job coaching services and educational support services for people with all kinds of disabilities," explains Cathy Wiegand, Community Education Coordinator. "Parents can contact us directly, but it’s important that they also reach out to the case manager at their school district."
In New York, the Rockland Independent Living Center offers transition services. The center helps link parents and students with the appropriate agencies and community services.
Websites such as thinkcollege.net encourage more possibilities. According to data on the site from the National Vocational Rehabilitation Database, students with intellectual disabilities who participated in postsecondary education were 26 percent more likely to finish their vocational rehabilitation services with a paid job earning a 73 percent higher weekly income than those who did not. The site offers access to searchable databases of existing college options, as well as related literature, training and technical assistance materials. There are sections for parents, students and professionals, each devoted to addressing some common questions.
Another helpful resource is a webinar entitled "Why Not College? Inclusive Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities" with accompanying PowerPoint handout. Both are available for online viewing through ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center’s website. Presented by the National Down Syndrome Society and the U.S. Department of Education, the program addresses issues related to the Higher Education Opportunity Act and Students with Intellectual Disabilities, citing the power of advocacy as one of the biggest supports for promoting postsecondary opportunities. The presentation notes research showing a significant impact on employment, income, social engagement and independent living, even with participation in just one post-secondary class.
Funding and Support
The future may come with a price tag, but that doesn’t mean it is financially out of reach for anyone with ambition. The Inclusive Transition and Post-Secondary Initiative from the National Down Syndrome Society offers grants such as the Riggio Grant, O’Neill Tabani Enrichment Fund, NIDRR and ADD Grants. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 reauthorized the Higher Education Act of 1965, which, for those who meet the criteria defining a student with an intellectual disability, makes funding such as the Pell and SEOP Grants available.
Private scholarship opportunities exist for students with special needs who want to attend college. The Anne Ford & Allegra Ford Scholarship, for example, are two separate $10,000 awards offered to college-bound seniors who have an identified learning disability. The Incight Go Getter Scholarship is a renewable award of $750 for high school students with disabilities and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Award consists of three $6,000 and three $2,000 awards available to high school seniors with learning disabilities who are members of RFB&D (Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic) and have demonstrated leadership skills, scholarship and a high level of service to others.
Job placement opportunities also have funding sources. Many private organizations, such as Advancing Opportunities, are paid through federal grants and school district funding. "School districts provide special education services funding. Once students reach the age of 21, funding for services could be provided by a state agency," notes Wiegand.
In addition to placement and job coaches, support services for students and their families come in a variety of ways. Bergen County’s Workplace Sensitive Training supports the placement of employees with disabilities. "Some of the areas we address include creating inclusive environments, barrier removal, reasonable accommodations and basic etiquette, including using ‘Person First Language’, that is putting the person first before the disability. We say this is a person with a disability not a disabled person."
Bosco points out they also have an adaptive equipment specialist on staff to offer suggestions for modifying a work environment. "These adaptations," Bosco explains, "can help enhance student inclusion, outcomes and performance."
Through the interaction and cooperation of families, schools and the community, transitioning from high school to the world beyond is made easier for special needs students and their families..
Resources
See Sample Transition Activities/Strategies from New Jersey State Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs at www.spannj.org/transition/TransitionCD/Navigation.
For information on Bergen County Special Services transition services, check www.bcss.bergen.org. Under Educational Enterprises, go to "Transition Services".
To view the webinar on the Higher Education Opportunity Act and Students with Intellectual Disabilities, go to www.taalliance.org/resources/pcactivities.asp.
Advancing Opportunities www.advopps.org.
http://www.northjersey.com/news/101949508_Taking_the_next_step.html?c=y&page=2
Each year, students throughout the country don caps and gowns as they celebrate the completion of high school. Senator Orrin Hatch was right when he said, "There is a good reason they call these ceremonies commencement exercises. Graduation is not the end; it's the beginning."
This is a time when students embark on a new path from high school to post-secondary education or employment opportunities. Students with special needs and their families are beginning that same journey, leaving behind their IEP’s or education plans, and charting a new course that may seem daunting at first. Like a ship taking its maiden voyage, the future is far easier to navigate with a well-planned map in hand.
Research and Planning
Moving from high school into the adult world is a formal process involving cooperative planning between students, their parents and the school district. By law, transition services for special-ed children must begin with IEP teams creating a statement of strategies to assist the student in preparing for post-secondary activities.
Upon entering high school, at the age of 14, students and their parents begin transition planning along with the child study team. Alice Hunnicutt, the Project Director for Transition from School to Adult Life for NJ SPAN, notes, "The IEP must include a statement of the student’s strengths, interests and preferences; identification of a course of study and related strategies/activities that are consistent with the strengths, interests and preferences, and are intended to help students develop or attain post-secondary goals related to training, education, employment and independent living, if appropriate."
At the age of 16, Hunnicutt says a student’s IEP must include measurable goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments. She emphasizes the need for "appropriate transition services that are results-oriented to support the student as he moves from school to post-school activities." This includes everything from post-secondary education and integrated employment to adult services, independent living and community participation.
When students are ready to make decisions about the future, there are a number of resources that can help. Hunnicutt suggests the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. "(It’s) an adult agency that provides technical consultation to students in high school regarding career paths and direct service to students after they graduate from high school," she notes.
The SPAN website is also a good resource. It includes sample strategies developed by the New Jersey Office of Special Education Programs. These strategies can be used in developing a transition plan within an IEP. "Transition takes a look at a bigger picture, and when families first start the process, it can be overwhelming," explains Hunnicutt. "These samples are meant to help families think about things that may be new to them."
Strategies are divided into different categories. Each section offers suggested activities to help with planning and preparation. Under "Instruction," for example, activities include determining the need for accommodations for SAT testing, exploring admission requirements for vocational school and participating in extracurricular activities. Under "Related Services," suggestions include identifying potential post-school providers of recreation therapy and applying for eligibility with NJ Transit’s Access Link program. There are sections for "Community Experiences," "Employment," "Post School Adult Living,"and "Daily Living Skills."
After high school, students have options that include vocational training, continuing and adult education and college. They also have non-school options, such as supported employment and community-based training, independent living and adult services. Creating a plan for the future means considering a student’s preferences and interests, as well as his abilities. Determining a direction requires knowing the available options. With the cooperation of parents and school personnel working together with students, the next step is to create a realistic plan.
Setting Goals
The future holds a myriad of possibilities. Navigating the list of options can be daunting, but there are so many resources available to help. School districts are often a parent’s first stop. "Bergen County Special Services provides transition services to all of their students," explains Mary Bosco, Supervisor of Educational Enterprises/Transition Services. "Our district can also offer these services to other districts when they contract with Bergen County Special Services through our Educational Enterprises’ Division." She notes that both public and private schools have accessed these transition services.
The staff offers students the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities, such as job shadowing, industry tours, internships, job development and even paid employment. "Every junior in one of our Bergen County Special Services high school programs is assigned a job coach," Bosco notes. "As part of transitioning a student from school to the adult world, the preparation to identify a student’s interests, preferences and skills is critical. Creating the right job match for both a student and an employer is the key to successful job retention."
Through this kind of careful planning, students are given the chance to make informed career choices in order to obtain competitive employment or other post-secondary opportunities.
Students are not sent out into the workforce without support. "Job coaches support the students as they enter the community and workforce for internships, assessments, travel training and employment," explains Bosco. "Job coaches support both students and their families in creating the linkages to adult services so that they can have continued support when they leave the educational setting."
Private organizations offer similar support. Advancing Opportunities has several regional offices in New Jersey and provides services, including transition planning, assistive technology, consumer advocacy, educational support, supported employment and residential services. Their transition specialists assist with numerous activities such as attending college classes and doing volunteer work in the community. "We provide one-on-one job coaching services and educational support services for people with all kinds of disabilities," explains Cathy Wiegand, Community Education Coordinator. "Parents can contact us directly, but it’s important that they also reach out to the case manager at their school district."
In New York, the Rockland Independent Living Center offers transition services. The center helps link parents and students with the appropriate agencies and community services.
Websites such as thinkcollege.net encourage more possibilities. According to data on the site from the National Vocational Rehabilitation Database, students with intellectual disabilities who participated in postsecondary education were 26 percent more likely to finish their vocational rehabilitation services with a paid job earning a 73 percent higher weekly income than those who did not. The site offers access to searchable databases of existing college options, as well as related literature, training and technical assistance materials. There are sections for parents, students and professionals, each devoted to addressing some common questions.
Another helpful resource is a webinar entitled "Why Not College? Inclusive Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities" with accompanying PowerPoint handout. Both are available for online viewing through ALLIANCE National Parent Technical Assistance Center’s website. Presented by the National Down Syndrome Society and the U.S. Department of Education, the program addresses issues related to the Higher Education Opportunity Act and Students with Intellectual Disabilities, citing the power of advocacy as one of the biggest supports for promoting postsecondary opportunities. The presentation notes research showing a significant impact on employment, income, social engagement and independent living, even with participation in just one post-secondary class.
Funding and Support
The future may come with a price tag, but that doesn’t mean it is financially out of reach for anyone with ambition. The Inclusive Transition and Post-Secondary Initiative from the National Down Syndrome Society offers grants such as the Riggio Grant, O’Neill Tabani Enrichment Fund, NIDRR and ADD Grants. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 reauthorized the Higher Education Act of 1965, which, for those who meet the criteria defining a student with an intellectual disability, makes funding such as the Pell and SEOP Grants available.
Private scholarship opportunities exist for students with special needs who want to attend college. The Anne Ford & Allegra Ford Scholarship, for example, are two separate $10,000 awards offered to college-bound seniors who have an identified learning disability. The Incight Go Getter Scholarship is a renewable award of $750 for high school students with disabilities and the Marion Huber Learning Through Listening Award consists of three $6,000 and three $2,000 awards available to high school seniors with learning disabilities who are members of RFB&D (Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic) and have demonstrated leadership skills, scholarship and a high level of service to others.
Job placement opportunities also have funding sources. Many private organizations, such as Advancing Opportunities, are paid through federal grants and school district funding. "School districts provide special education services funding. Once students reach the age of 21, funding for services could be provided by a state agency," notes Wiegand.
In addition to placement and job coaches, support services for students and their families come in a variety of ways. Bergen County’s Workplace Sensitive Training supports the placement of employees with disabilities. "Some of the areas we address include creating inclusive environments, barrier removal, reasonable accommodations and basic etiquette, including using ‘Person First Language’, that is putting the person first before the disability. We say this is a person with a disability not a disabled person."
Bosco points out they also have an adaptive equipment specialist on staff to offer suggestions for modifying a work environment. "These adaptations," Bosco explains, "can help enhance student inclusion, outcomes and performance."
Through the interaction and cooperation of families, schools and the community, transitioning from high school to the world beyond is made easier for special needs students and their families..
Resources
See Sample Transition Activities/Strategies from New Jersey State Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs at www.spannj.org/transition/TransitionCD/Navigation.
For information on Bergen County Special Services transition services, check www.bcss.bergen.org. Under Educational Enterprises, go to "Transition Services".
To view the webinar on the Higher Education Opportunity Act and Students with Intellectual Disabilities, go to www.taalliance.org/resources/pcactivities.asp.
Advancing Opportunities www.advopps.org.
Employment Gains Seen For People With Disabilities
Employment Gains Seen For People With Disabilities By Michelle Diament
September 3, 2010 Text Size A A
Unemployment concerns eased slightly for Americans with disabilities in August, receding from near record levels the month prior, the Labor Department said Friday.
Last month, the unemployment rate dropped to 15.6 percent for those with disabilities, down from 16.4 percent in July. The highest rate ever recorded — 16.9 percent — was seen last August.
Not only were more people working last month as compared to the month before, but more people were considered part of the workforce, meaning that they had work or were actively looking for it.
While this is a sign of improvement, employment prospects for people with disabilities continue to fall far short of those for their typically developing peers. The first annual look at the job situation for Americans with disabilities, which was released in late August, reflected a jobless rate that’s 60 percent higher for people with disabilities overall. Accordingly, despite improvement in August for people with disabilities, the unemployment rate for this population continues to be far higher than the 9.3 percent reported for the general population last month.
The Department of Labor began tracking employment among people with disabilities in October 2008. There is not yet enough data compiled to establish seasonal trends within this group, so numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
Employment statistics on people with disabilities cover those over the age of 16 who do not live in institutions. The first employment report specific to this population was made available in February 2009. Now, reports are released monthly.
September 3, 2010 Text Size A A
Unemployment concerns eased slightly for Americans with disabilities in August, receding from near record levels the month prior, the Labor Department said Friday.
Last month, the unemployment rate dropped to 15.6 percent for those with disabilities, down from 16.4 percent in July. The highest rate ever recorded — 16.9 percent — was seen last August.
Not only were more people working last month as compared to the month before, but more people were considered part of the workforce, meaning that they had work or were actively looking for it.
While this is a sign of improvement, employment prospects for people with disabilities continue to fall far short of those for their typically developing peers. The first annual look at the job situation for Americans with disabilities, which was released in late August, reflected a jobless rate that’s 60 percent higher for people with disabilities overall. Accordingly, despite improvement in August for people with disabilities, the unemployment rate for this population continues to be far higher than the 9.3 percent reported for the general population last month.
The Department of Labor began tracking employment among people with disabilities in October 2008. There is not yet enough data compiled to establish seasonal trends within this group, so numbers are not seasonally adjusted.
Employment statistics on people with disabilities cover those over the age of 16 who do not live in institutions. The first employment report specific to this population was made available in February 2009. Now, reports are released monthly.
Co-op looks to offer opportunities
Co-op looks to offer opportunities
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/nanaimonewsbulletin/news/102382379.html
A group of Cedar families is brewing up new opportunities for their children.
The families plan to start a coffee shop on Cedar Road through the Cedar Opportunities Co-operative, to give their children with developmental disabilities employment and socialization opportunities closer to home.
The coffee shop will employ children, trained workers to support the disabled employees and other workers.
The co-op was created about four years ago as a result of discussions five families had during picnics and other social occasions, said Sandra Marquis, co-op president.
Frustrated by the lack of gathering places, programs or jobs for their children in the Cedar area – the children were reliant on parents to drive them to Ladysmith or Nanaimo – the families decided to take matters into their own hands.
“After school is done, there’s no opportunities in Cedar to socially interact with people,” said Marquis. “And you can’t get anywhere unless someone drives you there.”
Once the group decided a coffee shop was the best type of business to introduce to the area, Marquis took time off work to attend a business planning course offered through Community Futures.
The co-op secured a $950 grant from the B.C. Co-operative Association, which helped them access information about incorporating a co-op and a $30,000 grant from the federal Co-operatives Secretariat to hire people to help them with a business plan and marketing.
A location was identified – space in Cedar Village Centre on Cedar Road – and seven people with developmental disabilities, ranging in ages from 16-30, want to work there, including Marquis’s 25-year-old daughter Camille, who is eager for the opportunity to make new friends.
Now the group is fundraising for startup costs.
The lease, equipment and renovations are expected to cost $90,000 and the group has raised $60,000 so far through donations from each of the founding families, selling memberships and a $2,000 grant from Mid Island Co-op.
The group hopes to finalize the lease arrangements in the coming weeks and open for business in early 2011.
“People have been very supportive,” said Marquis. “This is a really innovative and unique business, there isn’t really anything like us across Canada.”
The public can help by becoming a member for $100, volunteering labour or donating the equipment needed to make coffee drinks, soups, sandwiches and baked goodies.
For more information or to become a member, please go to www.cedaropportunities.coop or e-mail ask_us@cedaropportunities.coop.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_central/nanaimonewsbulletin/news/102382379.html
A group of Cedar families is brewing up new opportunities for their children.
The families plan to start a coffee shop on Cedar Road through the Cedar Opportunities Co-operative, to give their children with developmental disabilities employment and socialization opportunities closer to home.
The coffee shop will employ children, trained workers to support the disabled employees and other workers.
The co-op was created about four years ago as a result of discussions five families had during picnics and other social occasions, said Sandra Marquis, co-op president.
Frustrated by the lack of gathering places, programs or jobs for their children in the Cedar area – the children were reliant on parents to drive them to Ladysmith or Nanaimo – the families decided to take matters into their own hands.
“After school is done, there’s no opportunities in Cedar to socially interact with people,” said Marquis. “And you can’t get anywhere unless someone drives you there.”
Once the group decided a coffee shop was the best type of business to introduce to the area, Marquis took time off work to attend a business planning course offered through Community Futures.
The co-op secured a $950 grant from the B.C. Co-operative Association, which helped them access information about incorporating a co-op and a $30,000 grant from the federal Co-operatives Secretariat to hire people to help them with a business plan and marketing.
A location was identified – space in Cedar Village Centre on Cedar Road – and seven people with developmental disabilities, ranging in ages from 16-30, want to work there, including Marquis’s 25-year-old daughter Camille, who is eager for the opportunity to make new friends.
Now the group is fundraising for startup costs.
The lease, equipment and renovations are expected to cost $90,000 and the group has raised $60,000 so far through donations from each of the founding families, selling memberships and a $2,000 grant from Mid Island Co-op.
The group hopes to finalize the lease arrangements in the coming weeks and open for business in early 2011.
“People have been very supportive,” said Marquis. “This is a really innovative and unique business, there isn’t really anything like us across Canada.”
The public can help by becoming a member for $100, volunteering labour or donating the equipment needed to make coffee drinks, soups, sandwiches and baked goodies.
For more information or to become a member, please go to www.cedaropportunities.coop or e-mail ask_us@cedaropportunities.coop.
Nonprofit aims to teach importance of nutrition
Nonprofit aims to teach importance of nutrition
Randy Benzil smacked the tube of dough on the edge of her table to open it, causing a blow that made everyone in the cooking class jump in their seats.
After realizing the origin of the sound, many burst into laughter and then went back to learning how to prepare this month's cooking lesson: a veggie pizza, topped with mostly homegrown vegetables, which many of the students helped harvest.
Target Community and Educational Services Inc., a nonprofit that provides services to those with developmental disabilities, holds a monthly cooking class as part of its participation in the Food Supplement Nutrition Education program, a nutrition education program of the University of Maryland Extension.
Nutrition educator Terry Serio said she teaches clients how to eat healthy and to prepare meals at four Carroll County developmentally disabled sites, including Target Inc., The Arc of Carroll County, the main Change Inc. building and Change Vocational.
Everyone helped to make the pizza by rolling out the dough, spreading on the homemade sauce, cutting and arranging the vegetables and low-fat cheese on top and finally placing everything on a pizza pan.
While putting together the pizza, Serio informed clients of the nutritional benefits of each ingredient, including how green peppers contain vitamin C and squash contains vitamin A.
"They really enjoy [the class]; they look forward to it," said Allie Rutland, a Target manager.
Rutland said even on the weeks when Serio doesn't come in, employees try to cook something with the clients, such as zucchini bread or peach cobbler.
Loretta Saint-Jean, of Hampstead, said the classes have taught her to drink mostly water, avoid sweets and eat four to five fruits and vegetables a day.
"It's not easy, but I try to eat two or three at least," Saint-Jean said.
Benzil, of Westminster, said she cooks at home with her two housemates who are also in the cooking class.
"I cook almost anything that is low fat and in my calorie range," Benzil said.
Jenny Laatsch, of New Windsor, said her favorite part of the cooking class is eating the food they prepare.
Saint-Jean said the pizza they made was delicious, and the class showed her that it is better to make pizza rather than buy it because it saves money and is healthier.
Serio said many of the clients have to make choices when grocery shopping and cooking some of their own meals.
"Hopefully [the classes] do give them a firm nutritional base," Serio said.
She said during this lesson, the clients learned about different, low-fat ingredients that can be used as toppings on a pizza.
"They learned today options other than pepperoni that are healthier and tastier," Serio said.
Randy Benzil smacked the tube of dough on the edge of her table to open it, causing a blow that made everyone in the cooking class jump in their seats.
After realizing the origin of the sound, many burst into laughter and then went back to learning how to prepare this month's cooking lesson: a veggie pizza, topped with mostly homegrown vegetables, which many of the students helped harvest.
Target Community and Educational Services Inc., a nonprofit that provides services to those with developmental disabilities, holds a monthly cooking class as part of its participation in the Food Supplement Nutrition Education program, a nutrition education program of the University of Maryland Extension.
Nutrition educator Terry Serio said she teaches clients how to eat healthy and to prepare meals at four Carroll County developmentally disabled sites, including Target Inc., The Arc of Carroll County, the main Change Inc. building and Change Vocational.
Everyone helped to make the pizza by rolling out the dough, spreading on the homemade sauce, cutting and arranging the vegetables and low-fat cheese on top and finally placing everything on a pizza pan.
While putting together the pizza, Serio informed clients of the nutritional benefits of each ingredient, including how green peppers contain vitamin C and squash contains vitamin A.
"They really enjoy [the class]; they look forward to it," said Allie Rutland, a Target manager.
Rutland said even on the weeks when Serio doesn't come in, employees try to cook something with the clients, such as zucchini bread or peach cobbler.
Loretta Saint-Jean, of Hampstead, said the classes have taught her to drink mostly water, avoid sweets and eat four to five fruits and vegetables a day.
"It's not easy, but I try to eat two or three at least," Saint-Jean said.
Benzil, of Westminster, said she cooks at home with her two housemates who are also in the cooking class.
"I cook almost anything that is low fat and in my calorie range," Benzil said.
Jenny Laatsch, of New Windsor, said her favorite part of the cooking class is eating the food they prepare.
Saint-Jean said the pizza they made was delicious, and the class showed her that it is better to make pizza rather than buy it because it saves money and is healthier.
Serio said many of the clients have to make choices when grocery shopping and cooking some of their own meals.
"Hopefully [the classes] do give them a firm nutritional base," Serio said.
She said during this lesson, the clients learned about different, low-fat ingredients that can be used as toppings on a pizza.
"They learned today options other than pepperoni that are healthier and tastier," Serio said.
For Disabled, a Job Hunt Alternative Mentally and Physically Challenged Adults Seek to Open Their Own Business, but Face Many Hurdles
David Shunkey is autistic and doesn't speak. Around the start of the recession, he got laid off from two jobs. Now he's trying to run his own business.
More mentally and physically challenged adults are looking to entrepreneurship as they get closed out of an exceptionally competitive job market, according to several organizations that help the disabled, including Community Options Inc., a nonprofit based in Princeton, N.J. of which Mr. Shunkey is a member. But in an economic climate that's been tough on entrepreneurs, the disabled are no exception, and many face extra challenges.
"It's more difficult for someone like David to obtain a normal job," says Heather Gooch, one of several Community Options workers helping Mr. Shunkey build a dog-treat business with an $850 state grant from New Mexico, where his enterprise is based. "He needs close supervision."
The unemployment rate for disabled workers was 14.3% in June, up from 9.3% two years earlier, when the Labor Department first began tracking such data for this demographic. In June, the unemployment rate for the rest of the U.S. was 9.4%.
Employment opportunities have historically been scarce for the disabled. Twenty years ago this month, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act, barring employers from discriminating against qualified job applicants with disabilities. Last year alone, more than 21,000 claims were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against employers accused of violating the law.
With the poor economy further restricting employment options for the disabled, some organizations are seeing increased interest in programs designed to assist this group in starting businesses.
Applications for an entrepreneur boot camp for disabled veterans that's offered through a network of six U.S. business schools have risen every year since the program's inception in 2007, says Mike Haynie, its national director. This year he expects to receive more than 500 applications for the program's 150 seats.
Founded by the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, the boot camp starts with a 40-day distance-learning course, followed by 10 days of on-campus classes. Participants are also paired with mentors and have access to free resources such as legal and accounting services from corporate partners and the schools' alumni.
After graduating from the program in 2008, former Marine Brian Iglesias co-launched New York film-production company Veterans Inc. with a fellow veteran. Mr. Iglesias's neck and shoulder were injured during combat, causing permanent nerve damage to his right arm and requiring a metal plate in his neck. He says he previously spent five months searching unsuccessfully for a job in the entertainment industry—even failing to land unpaid internships. "I was begging people to work for free," he says.
The 33-year-old Mr. Iglesias, who has a bachelor's degree in film production from Temple University, suspects that some employers were uncomfortable hiring him because of his war experience. "Out of all the people who are candidates, they think, a year ago this guy was being shot at," he says.
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Brian Iglesias
Brian Iglesias co-launched film-production company Veterans Inc.
.Every year since the recession hit, about 3,000 disabled adults have contacted Disabled Businesspersons Association for referrals to resources and volunteer mentors—three times as many as before, according to Urban Miyares, the San Diego nonprofit's president.
But success seems limited. "We have yet to show any significant increase in profit or individual incomes by these new business owners," he says.
Mr. Miyares speculates that because more disabled adults are pursuing entrepreneurship, competition for grants and other funding set aside by government agencies for this group has increased. As a result, disabled entrepreneurs may have less access to the start-up capital or cash flow they need to build and maintain a business, he says.
Meanwhile, it's been tough for business owners of all kinds to obtain credit. Only about half of small businesses that sought loans last year got all or most of what they needed, according to a survey from the National Federation of Independent Business, an association in Washington.
And for business owners with severe disabilities, there are many other hurdles. Mr. Shunkey, the autistic entrepreneur, relies on a team of supporters to ensure he doesn't get hurt while running his home-based start-up, David's Peanut Butter Puppy Bites LLC. Because the 54-year-old Mr. Shunkey is diabetic and has a tendency to eat or drink anything within reach, his helpers need to keep a close eye on him at all times. "If there's hot coffee left out, he'll just pour it into his mouth," says Ms. Gooch.
With the help of his support team, Mr. Shunkey sought his first customers by asking local pet groomers and supply shops to sell his product on consignment. While five businesses initially signed on, three have since backed out, says Ms. Gooch, adding that sales of Mr. Shunkey's dog treats, which are priced at $5 for a dozen, have totaled just $120 over the past three months.
When asked in a phone interview if he enjoys running a business, Mr. Shunkey nodded, according to Ms. Gooch. He didn't respond to subsequent questions.
David Shunkey is autistic and doesn't speak. Around the start of the recession, he got laid off from two jobs. Now he's trying to run his own business.
More mentally and physically challenged adults are looking to entrepreneurship as they get closed out of an exceptionally competitive job market, according to several organizations that help the disabled, including Community Options Inc., a nonprofit based in Princeton, N.J. of which Mr. Shunkey is a member. But in an economic climate that's been tough on entrepreneurs, the disabled are no exception, and many face extra challenges.
"It's more difficult for someone like David to obtain a normal job," says Heather Gooch, one of several Community Options workers helping Mr. Shunkey build a dog-treat business with an $850 state grant from New Mexico, where his enterprise is based. "He needs close supervision."
The unemployment rate for disabled workers was 14.3% in June, up from 9.3% two years earlier, when the Labor Department first began tracking such data for this demographic. In June, the unemployment rate for the rest of the U.S. was 9.4%.
Employment opportunities have historically been scarce for the disabled. Twenty years ago this month, Congress enacted the Americans with Disabilities Act, barring employers from discriminating against qualified job applicants with disabilities. Last year alone, more than 21,000 claims were filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against employers accused of violating the law.
With the poor economy further restricting employment options for the disabled, some organizations are seeing increased interest in programs designed to assist this group in starting businesses.
Applications for an entrepreneur boot camp for disabled veterans that's offered through a network of six U.S. business schools have risen every year since the program's inception in 2007, says Mike Haynie, its national director. This year he expects to receive more than 500 applications for the program's 150 seats.
Founded by the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University, the boot camp starts with a 40-day distance-learning course, followed by 10 days of on-campus classes. Participants are also paired with mentors and have access to free resources such as legal and accounting services from corporate partners and the schools' alumni.
After graduating from the program in 2008, former Marine Brian Iglesias co-launched New York film-production company Veterans Inc. with a fellow veteran. Mr. Iglesias's neck and shoulder were injured during combat, causing permanent nerve damage to his right arm and requiring a metal plate in his neck. He says he previously spent five months searching unsuccessfully for a job in the entertainment industry—even failing to land unpaid internships. "I was begging people to work for free," he says.
The 33-year-old Mr. Iglesias, who has a bachelor's degree in film production from Temple University, suspects that some employers were uncomfortable hiring him because of his war experience. "Out of all the people who are candidates, they think, a year ago this guy was being shot at," he says.
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Brian Iglesias
Brian Iglesias co-launched film-production company Veterans Inc.
.Every year since the recession hit, about 3,000 disabled adults have contacted Disabled Businesspersons Association for referrals to resources and volunteer mentors—three times as many as before, according to Urban Miyares, the San Diego nonprofit's president.
But success seems limited. "We have yet to show any significant increase in profit or individual incomes by these new business owners," he says.
Mr. Miyares speculates that because more disabled adults are pursuing entrepreneurship, competition for grants and other funding set aside by government agencies for this group has increased. As a result, disabled entrepreneurs may have less access to the start-up capital or cash flow they need to build and maintain a business, he says.
Meanwhile, it's been tough for business owners of all kinds to obtain credit. Only about half of small businesses that sought loans last year got all or most of what they needed, according to a survey from the National Federation of Independent Business, an association in Washington.
And for business owners with severe disabilities, there are many other hurdles. Mr. Shunkey, the autistic entrepreneur, relies on a team of supporters to ensure he doesn't get hurt while running his home-based start-up, David's Peanut Butter Puppy Bites LLC. Because the 54-year-old Mr. Shunkey is diabetic and has a tendency to eat or drink anything within reach, his helpers need to keep a close eye on him at all times. "If there's hot coffee left out, he'll just pour it into his mouth," says Ms. Gooch.
With the help of his support team, Mr. Shunkey sought his first customers by asking local pet groomers and supply shops to sell his product on consignment. While five businesses initially signed on, three have since backed out, says Ms. Gooch, adding that sales of Mr. Shunkey's dog treats, which are priced at $5 for a dozen, have totaled just $120 over the past three months.
When asked in a phone interview if he enjoys running a business, Mr. Shunkey nodded, according to Ms. Gooch. He didn't respond to subsequent questions.
Young Adults with Asperger's syndrome struggle to find jobs
Young adults with Asperger's syndrome struggle to find jobs
Employment help often lacking for applicants facing difficulties with interviews, workplace interactions
Monday, July 12, 2010 02:50 AM
By Rita Price
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
COURTNEY HERGESHEIMER
DISPATCH
Chelsea Ridenour, 23, an honors college grad, reads before a Franklin University accounting class. She has struggled to find and keep a job.
COURTNEY HERGESHEIMER
DISPATCH
Chelsea Ridenour had to leave one promising job because she was required to work on the help desk. As her father, Rick, said, she is "phone-phobic."Her resume attracted plenty of attention.
Hospitals, technology companies and a major research organization indicated that Chelsea Ridenour - computer and math whiz, summa cum laude graduate of Capital University - looked good on paper. Some called for interviews.
And then, suddenly, it didn't seem to matter that she is intelligent and dependable and tenacious. Ridenour can communicate with a computer in six languages, but she can't chat her way through a face-to-face meeting with a stranger.
"People try to be nice. They're not deliberately not nice," the Hilliard resident said. "They just don't understand."
Ridenour is among a rising population of young adults whose coming-of-age stories are at best complicated and oftentimes heartbreaking. They are grown-ups with Asperger's syndrome and other autism disorders, conditions that society seems to handle best when boys and girls are young and in school.
But Ridenour is 23. What she needs is a job.
"My pitch always has been, 'There's a buyer for every house. Why don't we find the buyers for these kids who want to work?'" said Tom Fish of the Ohio State University Nisonger Center, a support and research institute for people with developmental disabilities.
"The challenge with people on the (autism) spectrum, of course, is social interaction," he said. "People look at these kids and say, 'Be more social.' Well, they can't."
Many young people with Asperger's syndrome, or "high-functioning" forms of autism, emerge from years of struggle, bullying and isolation in high school only to find that the adult world can be even more difficult. According to the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, national studies have found that only 6 percent to 14 percent of adults with autism are competitively employed.
Yet many possess normal - and in a lot of cases, superior - intellectual abilities.
The surge in autism diagnoses - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the incidence at one in 110 American children - first was felt in education systems.
Now, families and government agencies are trying to chart the course to employment.
"We weren't ready," said Chris Filler, transition coordinator at the Ohio Center for Autism. "This wave of what used to be preschoolers with autism is moving on, and we're really scrambling to meet that need."
Families report frustration as they turn to agencies such as the Rehabilitation Services Commission of Ohio; its history is rooted in finding jobs for people with traditional disabilities: hearing loss, mobility problems and blindness, for example.
County boards of developmental disabilities serve some adults with autism, but those with mild forms such as Asperger's might not qualify for services and the waivers that pay for them. Yet their "social dyslexia," as some describe the condition, can be crippling in the work world.
Ellen Ridenour, Chelsea's mother, said the family sought help from the commission's Bureau of Vocational Services in 2008 but found that their caseworker knew little about Asperger's syndrome. Although Chelsea had recently graduated from college with a 3.9 grade-point average, her family was told that she was "not competitively employable."
Others have reported similar experiences.
"I don't think they have any idea yet of the challenges of Asperger's," said Nancy Beu, a North Side woman whose 28-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, went through many difficult evaluations and interviews before getting a job at a YMCA.
"They don't do well with job interviews. That's overwhelming for them. Some of the case managers think, 'They're not employable.' Well, most of these young people have wonderful skills. Elizabeth always proves herself."
The commission's administrator, Michael Rench, met with some families and told them the agency is working to improve training and find better ways to help clients with autism.
"We recognize the frustration," he said.
But, at the same time, the commission remains obligated to serve the most-significantly disabled first. "If they have a master's degree and drive a car, it can be hard to determine how they qualify for our services," Rench said.
The commission served 860 Ohioans with autism last year. Officials say 122 cases were "successfully closed," meaning that the workers maintained competitive employment for at least 90 days.
Filler said that's often not long enough for a young adult with autism to adjust. She worries that traditional time frames and limited budgets allow cases to be closed before the workers attain stability.
National employment studies have found that, among recent high-school graduates with disabilities, those with autism have the highest job-retention rates after more than a year, Filler said. But two to six months into the job, they fare the worst.
Brian Cloppert had the ability. What he needed was someone to help him find a groove, to put abstract concepts into concrete terms.
"He's a very bright young man, has a lot of knowledge, skill and capability," said Pat Batdorf, an on-the-job training specialist at the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities who works with Cloppert. "It's just a matter of connecting the dots."
For three years, Cloppert, a 27-year-old who has Asperger's syndrome, has worked as a supply coordinator at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital, where he handles inventory for four floors.
"Of all the jobs I've trained in 25 years, this is probably the most complicated," Batdorf said. "But he's doing great."
Cloppert's family agrees that he is fortunate to have long-term job coaching, which isn't easy to come by. And not everyone who gets the help is happy to land jobs that seem below their abilities.
"We have one man who has a master's degree, and right now, he's doing some janitorial work," said Claudia Ross, the board's employment-services director. "He's not happy, and we know it; but socially, he's so unskilled."
Filler and others see some solutions in earlier job planning - in middle school, not after high school or college - and by helping employers understand the strengths of many people with autism.
"Small-business owners," Rench said, "can make adaptations quicker than a corporation. They're more than willing to tolerate the quirkiness."
Chelsea had to leave one promising job because she was required to work on the help desk. "If they'd let her do programming, she'd be great," said her dad, Rick. "But the help desk? She's phone-phobic."
Mrs. Ridenour said she hopes the lessons learned by her family can help others understand that academic success isn't enough of a base to build on. She wishes that Chelsea had had earlier work experience and support.
"We didn't think we'd have to do all this," Mrs. Ridenour said. "We thought employers would be looking for skills, not the ability to socialize around the water cooler."
Chelsea recently learned that she is eligible, at least temporarily, for some job help from the developmental disabilities board, and she might try an internship for math- and science-skilled adults with disabilities.
She's trying to forget the person who, after a strained conversation about employment, "decided that I didn't really want a job."
Nothing could be further from the truth.
For information and help, contact Aspirations, a social and vocational-support program for young adults with autism disorders. Visit the website at www.aspirationsohio.org or call 614-292-4185.
Employment help often lacking for applicants facing difficulties with interviews, workplace interactions
Monday, July 12, 2010 02:50 AM
By Rita Price
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
COURTNEY HERGESHEIMER
DISPATCH
Chelsea Ridenour, 23, an honors college grad, reads before a Franklin University accounting class. She has struggled to find and keep a job.
COURTNEY HERGESHEIMER
DISPATCH
Chelsea Ridenour had to leave one promising job because she was required to work on the help desk. As her father, Rick, said, she is "phone-phobic."Her resume attracted plenty of attention.
Hospitals, technology companies and a major research organization indicated that Chelsea Ridenour - computer and math whiz, summa cum laude graduate of Capital University - looked good on paper. Some called for interviews.
And then, suddenly, it didn't seem to matter that she is intelligent and dependable and tenacious. Ridenour can communicate with a computer in six languages, but she can't chat her way through a face-to-face meeting with a stranger.
"People try to be nice. They're not deliberately not nice," the Hilliard resident said. "They just don't understand."
Ridenour is among a rising population of young adults whose coming-of-age stories are at best complicated and oftentimes heartbreaking. They are grown-ups with Asperger's syndrome and other autism disorders, conditions that society seems to handle best when boys and girls are young and in school.
But Ridenour is 23. What she needs is a job.
"My pitch always has been, 'There's a buyer for every house. Why don't we find the buyers for these kids who want to work?'" said Tom Fish of the Ohio State University Nisonger Center, a support and research institute for people with developmental disabilities.
"The challenge with people on the (autism) spectrum, of course, is social interaction," he said. "People look at these kids and say, 'Be more social.' Well, they can't."
Many young people with Asperger's syndrome, or "high-functioning" forms of autism, emerge from years of struggle, bullying and isolation in high school only to find that the adult world can be even more difficult. According to the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, national studies have found that only 6 percent to 14 percent of adults with autism are competitively employed.
Yet many possess normal - and in a lot of cases, superior - intellectual abilities.
The surge in autism diagnoses - the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the incidence at one in 110 American children - first was felt in education systems.
Now, families and government agencies are trying to chart the course to employment.
"We weren't ready," said Chris Filler, transition coordinator at the Ohio Center for Autism. "This wave of what used to be preschoolers with autism is moving on, and we're really scrambling to meet that need."
Families report frustration as they turn to agencies such as the Rehabilitation Services Commission of Ohio; its history is rooted in finding jobs for people with traditional disabilities: hearing loss, mobility problems and blindness, for example.
County boards of developmental disabilities serve some adults with autism, but those with mild forms such as Asperger's might not qualify for services and the waivers that pay for them. Yet their "social dyslexia," as some describe the condition, can be crippling in the work world.
Ellen Ridenour, Chelsea's mother, said the family sought help from the commission's Bureau of Vocational Services in 2008 but found that their caseworker knew little about Asperger's syndrome. Although Chelsea had recently graduated from college with a 3.9 grade-point average, her family was told that she was "not competitively employable."
Others have reported similar experiences.
"I don't think they have any idea yet of the challenges of Asperger's," said Nancy Beu, a North Side woman whose 28-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, went through many difficult evaluations and interviews before getting a job at a YMCA.
"They don't do well with job interviews. That's overwhelming for them. Some of the case managers think, 'They're not employable.' Well, most of these young people have wonderful skills. Elizabeth always proves herself."
The commission's administrator, Michael Rench, met with some families and told them the agency is working to improve training and find better ways to help clients with autism.
"We recognize the frustration," he said.
But, at the same time, the commission remains obligated to serve the most-significantly disabled first. "If they have a master's degree and drive a car, it can be hard to determine how they qualify for our services," Rench said.
The commission served 860 Ohioans with autism last year. Officials say 122 cases were "successfully closed," meaning that the workers maintained competitive employment for at least 90 days.
Filler said that's often not long enough for a young adult with autism to adjust. She worries that traditional time frames and limited budgets allow cases to be closed before the workers attain stability.
National employment studies have found that, among recent high-school graduates with disabilities, those with autism have the highest job-retention rates after more than a year, Filler said. But two to six months into the job, they fare the worst.
Brian Cloppert had the ability. What he needed was someone to help him find a groove, to put abstract concepts into concrete terms.
"He's a very bright young man, has a lot of knowledge, skill and capability," said Pat Batdorf, an on-the-job training specialist at the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities who works with Cloppert. "It's just a matter of connecting the dots."
For three years, Cloppert, a 27-year-old who has Asperger's syndrome, has worked as a supply coordinator at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital, where he handles inventory for four floors.
"Of all the jobs I've trained in 25 years, this is probably the most complicated," Batdorf said. "But he's doing great."
Cloppert's family agrees that he is fortunate to have long-term job coaching, which isn't easy to come by. And not everyone who gets the help is happy to land jobs that seem below their abilities.
"We have one man who has a master's degree, and right now, he's doing some janitorial work," said Claudia Ross, the board's employment-services director. "He's not happy, and we know it; but socially, he's so unskilled."
Filler and others see some solutions in earlier job planning - in middle school, not after high school or college - and by helping employers understand the strengths of many people with autism.
"Small-business owners," Rench said, "can make adaptations quicker than a corporation. They're more than willing to tolerate the quirkiness."
Chelsea had to leave one promising job because she was required to work on the help desk. "If they'd let her do programming, she'd be great," said her dad, Rick. "But the help desk? She's phone-phobic."
Mrs. Ridenour said she hopes the lessons learned by her family can help others understand that academic success isn't enough of a base to build on. She wishes that Chelsea had had earlier work experience and support.
"We didn't think we'd have to do all this," Mrs. Ridenour said. "We thought employers would be looking for skills, not the ability to socialize around the water cooler."
Chelsea recently learned that she is eligible, at least temporarily, for some job help from the developmental disabilities board, and she might try an internship for math- and science-skilled adults with disabilities.
She's trying to forget the person who, after a strained conversation about employment, "decided that I didn't really want a job."
Nothing could be further from the truth.
For information and help, contact Aspirations, a social and vocational-support program for young adults with autism disorders. Visit the website at www.aspirationsohio.org or call 614-292-4185.
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