When the School Bus Stops

Coming: the dilemma for

adults with autism
Dr. David L. Holmes
Chairman/Ceo Lifespan Services,
LLC
Autism 1 RadioTalkshow Host:
Adults on the Autism Spectrum
Today!
 What happens after the
entitlement years? Years of
eligibility but no services.

“Kids have been getting

$60,000 a year
minimum worth of
school services. Then
it's gone," said Leslie
Long, policy director for
the nonprofit agency
and an adult task force
member. "A percentage
will go on to college.
About 80 percent
of adults with
autism live with
their families,
Keating said, in
part because of a
shortage
independent living
options.
"It's a big shock to
the system when
they graduate,"
Smetona, mother of
Michael and Megan,
said. "Their schooling
was everything to
them. It met their
social and
extracurricular
needs. It's hard to
find something in the
community for
Michael and Megan
 providers are
struggling to meet
a rising need for
day programs, out-
of-home
residential
placements, and
in-home support
services
What happens when services
are unavailable or
underavailable?
Willing, Able -- and
Unemployable
By Ann Bauer
Monday, October 30,
2006; Page A17
My 18-year-old son
shambles. There's no
other word for it. He
walks like an old man:
scraping the soles of his
feet on the floor, tilting
his head one side and
tucking it into the space
between his neck and
Today, what I fret
about most is the
fact that after two
years of
submitting
applications,
taking tests and
going in for
interviews, he
cannot get a job.
I took Andrew to
Target, a company
known for its history
of working with
disabled people.
Only there's a catch:
I was told when I
called that their
policy was to employ
"visibly
handicapped"
workers. People in
wheelchairs qualify,
as do those with
My son is one of many:
Some time in the next
decade, the Autism
Society of America
estimates, the number
of people in this country
who have autism will hit
4 million. I wonder if,
when these children
reach the age of 18,
they too will be
unemployable. Or if,
perhaps, the work we're
doing with Andrew now
will mean a different
experience for those
THE FUTURE
DEPENDS ON
WHAT WE DO
IN THE
PRESENT

MAHATMA
GHANDI
What can we do to ensure that
the future is brighter for adults
with autism
 Change the name of the
agency responsible for autism
• Petition the state legislature to
rename your state’s Dept./Div. of
Mental Retardation to

• The Dept./Div. of
Developmental Disabilities

• If not this is what will occur

Last year, the state set aside $250,000
"

to hire a coordinator of autism services

within the Department of Mental
Retardation. But under state law, the
department can serve only people with
IQs lower than 70, meaning that the
agency would have to change its name
and its mission to incorporate services
for high-functioning people with
autism.“ Connecticut
Get a copy of your state’s Medicaid
Waiver application. Read it .

Contact your state representatives;

legislators and governmental workers.

Tell them of your concerns regarding the

application.

Stay vigilant and persistent.

Don’t merely advocate…AGITATE!

What you or your offspring are
eligible for under state and
federal guidelines
(Updated: March 17, 2009 at 6:10 PM CT)

R ecently we brought you Scoop Essentials: Transition, It’s A Brave New World,

a conversation about preparing for adult life with transition specialist Mary Korpi in Long
Island, N.Y.
.
Mary Korpi: The Department of Rehabilitation is both federal and state funded so there
will be different levels of support in different parts of the country. Nevertheless there are
specific guidelines families can follow that will maximize a young adult’s access to
services.

For the specific responsibilities of the Vocational

Rehabilitation Administration get the book:

Rehabilitation of Individuals with Autism

Spectrum Disorders [2007]
www.gwu.edu/~crcre
1. First, at age 18 apply for SSI from
Social Security. At 18 only the young
adult’s income is included when
determining eligibility so families need to
be sure to research the income
guidelines and, if needed, set up a
“Supplemental/Special Needs Trust” if
the individual has too many assets. A
lawyer who is versed in elder care law is
most likely familiar with this type of trust
but get referrals from local adult service
agencies that deal with these issues
regularly.
2. In many states once the young
adult gets SSI, they will automatically
get Medicaid. However, in Illinois, for
example, you must apply for
Medicaid separately so you will want
to do that as well. You need to
indicate that you want full coverage
Medicaid, not just for medical needs.
In many cases Medicaid will pay for
adult services when an eligible young
adult leaves school.
3. As soon as the young adult
gets Medicaid, apply for a
“service coordinator” through
the Office of Developmental
Disabilities in your state.
Service coordinators are the
“navigators” of adult
programming for families and
people with disabilities.
4. Apply to have your child on
whatever ‘waiting lists’ your
state
has for its’ developmentally
disabled
citizens
5. Finally, do not leave school
before you must.  If you have not
completed the requirements for
graduation, you are entitled to
stay in school until the year you
turn 21! For all the struggles you
may face within the school
system, school services are
mandated by law. Adult programs
require meeting eligibility
requirements, which often makes
services far less comprehensive
and user friendly.
The Forensic side
Autistic hacker escapes penalty
Waikato Times | Tuesday, 15 July
2008
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/46192
15a28.html
A Whitianga teenager who
hacked into a computer at a
United States university was
today discharged without
conviction at the High Court in
Hamilton
The U.S. government says McKinnon
carried out the biggest military
computer hacking of all time, accessing
97 computers from his home in London
starting in March 2001 and costing the
government about $1 million.
McKinnon, currently free on bail in
England, has said he was simply doing
research to find out whether the U.S.
government was covering up the
existence of UFOs.
Dr. Arturo Silva, of San Jose, Calif., is
in the middle of a study of 50 of the
nation's most prolific killers. He says
he has spotted something intriguing:
autism.
Not in all, he says, but some. And
many of the others are borderline.
Silva says he finds two distinct
groups - those who are withdrawn
and disorganized, with longstanding
social problems, like Henry Lee
Lucas…
Cho, a senior English major at Virginia
Tech, had been diagnosed with and
was treated for a severe
anxiety disorder in middle school and
continued receiving therapy and
special education support until his
junior year of high school. While in
college in 2005, Cho had been
accused of stalking two female
students and was declared
mentally ill by a Virginia special
justice.[3] At least one professor had
asked him to seek counseling.
Joe, 34 years old,
was married with
children, has
Asperger’s,
currently facing
charges of viewing
and cataloging child
pornography
Lou, 44 years old,
successful book
store owner, has
Asperger’s,
currently
incarcerated in a
state penitentiary
for sexual
offenders
Charlie, 19 years
old, nonverbal,
significant autism,
currently in a
moderate secure
lock up unit in a
DD Center for
sexual offenders.
A 20-year-old autistic man,
accused of stabbing his
mother twice in the back last
Monday, will now enter a legal
system that some argue isn't
properly equipped to handle
someone with his disorder.
 What to do
a. Ensure proper diagnosis

c. Begin treatment and supports

immediately

e. Do not allow viewing of violent

DVDs, games, or movies

g. Do not allow viewing of pornography

a. Train compliance to
socially adaptive
rules

c. Redirect
interests/behavior
towards consumable
matters

e. Do not view
aggressive,
oppositional or
destructive behavior
as anything less than
assault/battery,
defiance, and/or
 Stop the
bullying/taunting/discounting
• mikep52 said: Well my son is a Senior
in High School now and he has been
bullied, beaten, spit on, verbally abused
since middle school. He is high
functioning Autistic. The school system
always blames him and his actions
rather than do something to the bullies.
It is easier to deal with one child than
the many that do the abusing. He was
even accused of having a hit list after
the Virgina Tech shootings. Our life was
hell for 2 weeks. Of course it was
proven that he did not and did nothing
to provoke the accusations. We never
Above all; Plan!
 MODEL TRANSITION PLAN
Date:
DIRECTIONS: To be completed by parent/guardian with support from staff who are
assisting the family with the Transition Process.
Name of Student
Date of Birth
Parent/Guardian
Telephone Number
Street Address
City State
Zip Code

E-Mail Address
School District
Case Manager
Telephone Number
Current Program
Contact Person
Telephone Number
Service Coordinator
Telephone Number
 GENERAL INFORMATION - Please summarize
below:
1. Significant birth history:
2. Diagnosis or presenting issues:
3. Medical or neurological information:
4. Special or health-related information:
5. Other/medications:
6. Describe the student’s program and progress with a focus on strategies that
have been most successful (e.g., successful strategies, current services,
adaptations, accommodations, training of support personnel and professionals,
etc.):
7. Family's priorities approaching transition to next level of service; eg, Early
Intervention to Preschool Disabled Services; Adolescence to Adulthood:
8. Expectations for next level of education:
9. Expectations for recreational/leisure activities:
10. Expectations for behavioral health/healthcare:
11. Expectations for transportation:
12. Expectations for social skill enhancement:
13. Expectations for social support groups (e.g. family, friends, groups, etc.)
14. Expectations for communication skill development:
15. Expectations for sexual expression:
16. Nutritional requirements:
17. Physical/cardio-vascular expectations:
18. Spiritual life expectations:
19. Guardianship:
20. Financial planning:
21. Health and life benefits (e.g. living wills, health
insurance, life insurance, funeral expenses, etc.)
22. Service agency profile (e.g. the types of services or
agency(s) required to offer such services)
Prepared by: __________________________________
Date: _________________
Parents/Guardians:
_________________________________
Date: ____________________