Autistic individuals often struggle to successfully navigate emerging adulthood (EA). College is an increasingly common context in which individuals learn and hone the necessary skills for adulthood. The goal of this paper is to systematically review and assess the existing research on college as a context of EA development in autistic…

Developing skills for functional independence is important to gain employment, engage in postsecondary education, and live independently. Unfortunately, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience difficulties with functional independence skills needed to complete common, everyday tasks. This study examined the effects of work…

"Autism at-a-Glance" is a series of practitioner and family-friendly documents created by the Center on Secondary Education for Students with ASD (CSESA) designed for high school staff members supporting students on the autism spectrum, as well as family members of adolescents with ASD. The purpose of the "Autism at-a-Glance"…

Self-care skills, especially food preparation skills, are essential for independence as young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) transition to adulthood. This practice brief reviews the impact of a six-week course designed to teach cooking skills to college students with ASD. The goal was to increase confidence in cooking and frequency of…

Traditional schooling methods and environments are falling short in terms of providing the best access to education and preparing students for productive, engaging futures. Innovation becomes particularly important when working with atypical students, such as the children on the autism spectrum who are served by the Shrub Oak International School…

Located about 80 miles north of New York City, Anderson Center for Autism has long provided comprehensive educational, vocational, and residential services for children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. Rooted in the use of applied behavior analysis and other evidence-based practices, the nonprofit helps children and adults communicate,…

Self-report measures are widely used for research and clinical assessment of adults with autism spectrum disorder. However, there has been little research examining the convergence of self- and informant-report in this population. This study examined agreement between 40 pairs of adults with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers on…

Daily living skills deficits are strongly associated with poor adult outcomes for individuals with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, and yet, there are no group interventions targeting daily living skills. Seven adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and their parents participated in a feasibility pilot of a 12-week manualized group…

Special education in the United State is based on the concept of access--public schools are open to all children. But access is no longer a sufficient foundation. Approaches and accommodations that lead to academic success are increasingly demanded for those with learning disabilities. Functional, independent-living, and employable skills are…

One common and effective approach used to teach vocational and independent living skills to students with ASD is technology-based intervention (Walsh, Holloway, McCoy, & Lydon, 2017). Such interventions include audio prompting (AP) and coaching, augmented and virtual reality, and video-based interventions, such as video modeling and video…

Purpose: The purpose of this tutorial is to provide speech-language pathologists (SLPs) with foundational information that will assist them in transition planning for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on a review of current literature. SLPs must be knowledgeable of transition planning in order to assist students with ASD and their…

This study aims to extend the definition of quality of life (QoL) for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 180, ages 23-60) by: (1) characterizing the heterogeneity of normative outcomes (employment, independent living, social engagement) and objective QoL (physical health, neighborhood quality, family contact, mental health issues); and…

State-specific 1915(c) Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services waiver programs have become central in the provision of services specifically tailored to children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Using propensity score matching, 130 families receiving waiver services for a child with ASD were matched with and compared to 130 families…

The transition to life after high school for students with disabilities and the vital role that school counselors have in assisting the students and their families to achieve success are discussed. As there may be unique requirements for these students in making this transition, it is important that school counselors are acquainted with particular…

Research on daily living activities and employment levels of adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Taiwan is limited. The aims of the study were to investigate outcomes related to functional independence and employment among people with ASD in Taiwan. We investigated the daily living activities and the employment status of 81 adults (age…