Autism News Tagged "job skills"

Life Skills: Big shoes to fill child's feet in large grown-up black shoes on backlit wood floor playing dress-up

What Life Skills Do Our Autistic Kids Need to Succeed?

Sometimes it’s hard to imagine where our kids will be several years from now. What will their life look like once they leave home? What skills will they need to be successful as an adult? What is a meaningful life for this adult with ASD?

These questions swirl around in my mind all the time. My children aren’t many years away from accessing adult services. I often think of the skills they will need to be successful. Those skills will vary for each child depending on their functioning level.

First Day on the Job

In my June 1^st blog post, I wrote about volunteering as a way of introducing the world of work to people with ASD. My two children, Marc and Julia, were going to start volunteering at a local Farmer’s Market organized by my figure skating group once a week in July. We had our first 3 hour shift yesterday and I am happy to report that it went very well.

I’d like to share what made this a successful experience for Marc and Julia.

Introducing the World of Work to People with ASD

As our folks on the autism spectrum age, we begin to wonder what will the future look like for them. How will they support themselves? Will they find meaningful and rewarding work? Entering into the work force can be a tricky business and one that needs some preparation. I think there is no better way to introduce the world of work than through volunteering.

Volunteering can happen before a person is ready for paying work. It’s a great way to try a variety of different jobs without being tied into a contract. There is not the same pressure as paid work, yet there are expectations. The volunteer experience can introduce them to a community they may not have known and in turn, an extra support network can be created. Skills important for job success such as patience, conversation skills, customer service, answering the telephone, computer skills, perserverence and problem solving can be practiced. If the volunteer work is for a particular event, they can be part of the planning process and see their work come to fruition at the event.

Tasks Galore for the Real World

Tasks Galore for the Real World teaches domestic, vocational, and other independent living skills to the adolescent and young adult. Applicable to home, school, community and training sites, this book uses a functional approach to tasks. Tasks are created using multi-modal presentations, which use visual, tactile and motor movement…