Transition Matters:

Post-SecondaryTools for Individuals with

Autism

James E. Williams Jr. Regional Coordinator, Independent Living

ExperienceCertified Rehabilitation Counselor

Doctoral Student, Educational Leadership, Lamar University

MY WEBSITE: http://www.transitionmatters.org/

2014 TRAN ConferenceFrisco. TX

How are we doing? Successful case closure rates for

Autism are getting much better statewide (Up 58% from 2011 to 2013), but consumers with Autism are still some of the toughest to train and place in VR.

At the current growth rate, DARS will be serving almost 4,000 consumers with Autism statewide in 2015.

What is working?

Non-profits and small businesses seem to work better and be more understanding with consumers with Autism.

Applied Behavior Analysis can make a tremendous difference with behavior at work, school, and at home.

Deficits in social skills cannot be ignored and, many times, they are the number one reason we see our consumers lose jobs.

Challenges with ASD Consumers

Their needs and strengths are very different regardless of similarities in IQ, achievement, family support, or socio-economic status. As such, some CRP’s and counselors are really struggling with placement.

ABA is very helpful, but it can’t fix every problem, so additional interventions (ASD Supports) may be needed.

Many counselors assume the higher-functioning consumers with ASD are the easiest to place, but many times we experience the most challenges from those individuals.

For some consumers, if the job isn’t high-interest, they will simply stop trying or they may even directly sabotage it.

Intellectual/Achievement ability does not equal employability, job sustainability, or amount of time to place.

What is needed from the consumer?

Participation Self-Advocacy Self-Determination Motivation Understanding of the difference between

modification and accommodation Willingness to address social challenges Understanding that failure to meet a job’s

standards, regardless of disability, can and usually will lead to job loss at some point.

Self-Advocacy

“Self-advocacy is the ability to communicate one’ talents, skills and needed accommodations to others….”

(Field, Martin, Miller, Ward, & Wehmeyer, 1998, p.2)

Integrated Self-Advocacy Curriculum

Integrated Self Advocacy helps us, as professionals and family members, to provide children and adults with ASD and other conditions with safe forums for self-discovery, structured learning activities and a cumulative understanding of the many facets of self-advocacy.

http://www.valerieparadiz.com

The 5 Self-Advocacy Skills Areas

1) Sensory/Environmental2) Social3) Disclosure4) Deep & Focused Interests5) Civil Rights/Entitlements(Paradiz, 2010)

Self-Determination

…choosing and enacting choices to control one’s life - to the maximum extent possible - based on knowing and valuing oneself, and in the pursuit of one’s own needs, interests, and values. (Campeau and Wolfman, Research on self-determination in individuals with disabilities. 1993, p. 2)

Promoting self-determination

Students who are self-determined tend to make things happen. They need to be able to: Set personal goals Solve problems that act as barriers to

achieving their goals Make appropriate choices based on

personal preferences & interests Participate in decisions that impact the

quality of life Advocate for their own academic needs &

services Create action plans to achieve goals Self-regulate & self-manage day-to-day

actions

(Simpson and Spencer, 2009)

MOTIVATION!!!!! Simply put, motivation is the key

that unlocks the potentially enormous success of a student with a disability!!!

What enabled me to be successful? MOTIVATION and AMBITOUS GOALS

Motivating Students to Address Their Needs

1. Link needed training or services to meeting their own goals

2. Make training or services enjoyable3. Use external rewards if intrinsic motivation is

missing4. Shore up assets and strengths before

addressing challenges5. Testimonials from successful individuals with

ASD’s6. Helping to teach others(Baker, 2005)

Modifications vs. Accommodations

A reduction, change or limitation; a fundamental change in form or content of something.

Modification Accommodation To adjust or

adapt

What is needed from the counselor?

Careful Review of Assessment Flexibility in Services and Delivery Understanding the Biggest

Challenge: Social Skills Use of Your Best Resource: The DD

Team Outside of the Box Thinking

Careful Review of Assessment

More Useful Vocational Assessment that connects

interests to abilities (COPS System) Social Skills Assessment (SRS2) Diagnostic Assessment, if needed (ADOS2) Adaptive Behavioral Scale (Vineland 2) Environmental Work Assessment On the Job Assessments (DARS DD Team)

Less Useful Intelligence Testing (Not Static) Achievement Testing (Mixed Results)

Flexibility in Services and Delivery

As an ASD Supports provider, we offer services in groups and individually because we know that some consumers will need one on one instruction and some will benefit from whole group work. It varies from client to client, need to need, and even environment to environment.

Understanding the Biggest Challenge

Social skills is the elephant in the room and it can’t be ignored if a consumer is going to achieve long-term job stability and have the potential for career advancement.

Some great resources on social skills are available from Social Thinking, AAPC, Future Horizons, and Jessica Kingsley Publishing

I also have several documents and links posted on my website.

Your Best Resource! The 2014 Statewide Developmental

Disorders Team Team Lead: Jennifer Kaut, M.Ed., BCBA

Jennifer.kaut@dars.state.tx.us 110 Members including VR Counselors and

CRP’s Two Great OTJ Assessment Tools

Autism Level of Comfort Scale Autism Employment Assessment I’ve used both with our clients and they’re very

helpful! Jennifer and all of the team members,

including myself, are great resources and can be very helpful with problem solving, planning, and strategies.

A special thanks to Jennifer for the statistics used in slide 3!

The Use of Social Skills GroupsSample Agenda:

Week 1-Introduction to Vocational SkillsWeek 2-Communication: Part 1- Body Language, Active Listening, and AssertivenessWeek 3-Communication: Part 2- Conflict ResolutionWeek 4-Communication: Part 3- Chain of CommandWeek 5-Appropriate Behavior: Getting Along with Your Co-Workers/SupervisorsWeek 6-Executive Functioning: Part 1- Time Management Week 7-Executive Functioning: Part 2- Problem SolvingWeek 8-Social Thinking: Part 1- Attitudes and Flexibility to ChangeWeek 9-Social Thinking: Part 2- Friendships at WorkWeek 10-Social Thinking: Part 3- Working as a Team

A great resource!www.socialthinking.com

1:1 Employment Support (Community-Based) Occurs on the job and at a client’s home Includes Job Coaching, Employment Partnerships,

Job Searching, Vocational Evaluation 1:1 Independent Living Support (Community-

Based) Occurs at the client’s home and in the community Includes teaching, modeling, and skills training for

tasks such as cooking, cleaning, med management, paying bills, organizing, scheduling, etc.

Social Activities Monthly Social/Community Events Group Seminars (When Needed)

Independent Living Experience-Texas

Our Success!o Quality of Life Rated Average or Better

o ILE Clients- 94%o Nationally - 59%

o Meaningfully Employedo ILE Clients - 93%o Nationally - 42%

o Living Independentlyo ILE Clients - 95%o Nationally - 17%

o Weekly Social Involvemento ILE Clients - 84%o Nationally - 46%

What Makes ILE Unique?

Questions/Comments James E. Williams Jr.Phone:

512-961-3359Email:

Jwilliams@independentlivingexperience.com

MY WEBSITE: http://www.transitionmatters.org/

Resource Websites Independent Living Experience

www.independentlivingexperience.com College Living Experience

www.experiencecle.com Texas Autism Resource and

Research Center www.dads.state.tx.us/tarrc

College Preparations for Students With High Functioning Autism www.professorsadvice.com

Resource Websites PACER Center

http://www.pacer.org National Center on Secondary Education

and Transition http://www.ncset.org

Council for Exceptional Children www.cec.sped.org

United States Department of Education-Office of Civil Rights http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/

index.html

Resource Websites Transition Coalition-University of

Kansas http://www.transitioncoalition.org

National Center for Learning Disabilities http://www.ncld.org

Association on Higher Education and Disability http://www.ahead.org

Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities www.txddc.state.tx.us