Autism Therapy: Finding Jobs
The train is on the tracks. We see the light. And it is heading our way. Adulthood. Now for most parents, that’s a wonderful thing. Thoughts of college, marriage and grandchildren come to mind, right? Well, that’s on the horizon for our youngest (fingers crossed). For our oldest son, no matter how much effort we have put into his autism education and autism therapy (and trust me, we have), he and his peers face a bleak future.
Going back to an article written earlier this decade, CNN cited that 70% of developmentally disabled adults were unemployed.
http://money.cnn.com/2000/03/23/career/q_disability/
Think about that for a moment. Seventy percent of a minority population. Where, if properly trained, could become productive members of society. Could become tax payers. Some….could live independently or with assistance. Right now, a great many of them are getting no autism education to assist them in the effort to become independent. No autism therapy to learn a job skill. No help at all.
There is a glimmer of hope.
Groups like “Men with Mops” in New Jersey are popping up all over the country in an effort to employ the ever growing population of teens and adults with autism.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/nj_adults_with_autism_undertak.html
What do you think? What types of autism education curriculum should schools be teaching to prepare the kids for the workplace? What autism information needs to be “out there” in order to educate the public about this problem? And what types of autism therapy do our kids need to help prepare them for a future in the workplace? I’d like to hear your opinion because this will affect all of our kids at some point. Our train is coming full steam ahead.
Blessings-
Deb
