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Find out in this Q&A with the co-author of Autism and the Transition to Adulthood |
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About the author
 Carol Schall, Ph.D., is director of the Virginia Autism Resource Center and assistant professor of Special Education and Disability Policy at Virginia Commonwealth University. A nationally known speaker, Dr. Schall is well versed in completing functional behavior assessments and using positive behavior supports to develop comprehensive plans for individuals from a person-centered approach. In addition to her speaking engagements, she provides consultations to schools, families, and community services providers who support individuals with autism or related disorders. Dr. Schall has been learning from and supporting individuals with autism for more than 25 years. Questions? Customer Service: |
Q: At a recent webinar, we received an overwhelming number of requests for information on autism and adulthood. Your new book addresses the question of autism and the transition to adulthood. Why is there such a need for information on this topic?
A: Through the 1990s we have seen an explosion in the number of school aged students diagnosed with ASDs. Those students are just now reaching high school and getting ready for adulthood. We have seen this throughout the lives of these students in the "first wave" of the increased incidence of autism. As young children, this group required a higher intensity of early intervention, and providers screamed for information. As they entered school, teachers cried for help in understanding inclusion for this group. As they enter adulthood, providers need more help understanding how to serve this group as adults. Q: In what ways might transition planning for someone with autism be different from that for someone else? A: The differences in transition planning for this groups lies in the need for intensity and more time to accomplish a successful transition. This is a group of students for whom business as usual will not work. As we discuss in chapters 1 through 3 of our book, the unique profile of students with ASD leads to a need for careful assessment, planning to address problem or unusual behaviors, and careful consideration of their communication and social needs. Q: In your book, Autism and the Transition to Adulthood, you seem to recommend the Goldilocks approach to the nature and intensity of supports made available to youth with autism. Why is the right balance between too little and too much support so critical? A: If we provide too much support to a person with ASD, they become dependent on the support and do not achieve independence. If they are offered too little support, they become challenging and are likely to fail. The issue of "Goldilocks" supports is to move in when the person needs assistance, but also to teach them to ask for that assistance so that they become more independent, even when soliciting help from the supports around them. Q: You strongly emphasize the importance of planning ahead and providing opportunities to young adults to interact in real community situations and settings. What advantage does this experience give them? A: Youth with autism do not generalize readily from a contrived environment, like a pretend job at school, to a "real environment" like a job in a community business. By giving the person with ASD real community experiences in work and life skills, we are teaching the person without having to plan for a highly structured generalization plan. If I teach a youth with ASD to count money in the classroom using pictures, then I have to allow for 2 to 3 months of moving that skill from the classroom to the community; otherwise, the student will only know how to count money in the classroom but not be able to make a purchase at a local convenience store. By teaching that same skill in the convenience store, the person learns to count money and make a purchase at the same time. Q: In the epilogue to your book, you and your co-authors mention the improved situation for adults with autism in just the past 10-15 years and you speculate on developments in the future ... Giving your imagination free rein, expand on some types of progress you can envision for adults with autism. A: Letting my imagination run, I believe that we will see more and more industries embrace young people with ASD in their companies. Even in this difficult economy, I can imagine a company like Ford Motors employing people with ASD in every aspect of their work. From engineering to assembly to maintenance of plants, workers with ASD have much to offer. The auto industry has much to gain as well. Imagine a plant where all instructions are in written and picture form and where supervisors coach their employees to ask for help when they need it on a daily basis. Imagine as well, that this same plant provides very structured ways for employees to interact and communicate. In other words, by implementing support for workers with autism, the whole company will find all of their workers more efficient. We have already seen this happen in work places like the Cincinnati Children's Hospital where, through Project Search, a worker with autism needed pictures to make sure that the examination rooms and emergency carts were properly stocked with medical supplies. Now all of the workers, from doctors and nurses to orderlies use those same pictures to help them avoid making medical errors! By embracing workers with ASD and implementing the supports that make them successful, all workers will benefit! For more insights on facilitating the transition to adulthood for people with autism, see the new book Autism and the Transition to Adulthood: Success Beyond the Classroom. |
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