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5 Strategies for Employers to Help Autistic Employees Thrive in the Workplace

A neurodiverse friend of mine who works at Trader Joe's has found that the support of her co-workers and managers has allowed her to truly thrive in her job as a cashier.

Autism and Stereotypes: A Few Tips for Survival

I used to get yelled at a lot when I was younger, especially when it came to homework.

What Works? Evidence-Based Transition Services

As autistic students transition from adolescence to adulthood, it is important that the transition services they access are evidence-based. Researchers have carefully reviewed and devised recommendations for services demonstrating the most effectiveness for helping autistic stud

Autism and Dance Therapy

Dancing is a universal language, and many on the autism spectrum can easily learn it.

Why Autistic/ADHD People Are Drawn to Other Autistic/ADHD People

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends I was diagnosed when I was 28. Being late diagnosed, I started to read more about autism and ADHD and suddenly realized so many people I know fit these descriptions. Some old friends, coworkers, and family had these traits! My partner

Autism in the Workplace: Advice From the Trenches

Autism in the workplace can have its share of rewards and pitfalls. As with anyone else, one on the spectrum has a lot to navigate when trying to find the right job fit. For some, the learning process may be pretty daunting.

Autism & Drama Therapy: A View From the Spectrum

My journey to the stage (and, lately, behind the camera) was a long one.

The Persistence of Time: Managing Time on the Spectrum

Time on the Spectrum Think about time. Does every task take longer if you’re on the autism spectrum, or if you have a child on the spectrum? Does your family have special rules regarding when and how things get done, based on how one particular person experiences the passage of

Applying Brene Brown’s Rising Strong to Autism

Building Awareness and Theory of Mind Brene Brown’s illuminating 2015 book, Rising Strong , shows how part of life is handling unexpected situations and dealing with expectations, failures, or disappointments—and finding ways to adjust and cope in spite of struggles. But the goa

Autism and the Transition to Adulthood (Part 2)

Building Social Skills and Maintaining Relationships (This article is part 2 of a 2-part series. Check out part 1 on helping young people with autism build a career and develop independent living skills! ) While emphasis is often placed on awareness of the signs and symptoms of

Autism and the Transition to Adulthood (Part 1)

Helping Young People With Autism Build a Career and Develop Independent Living Skills (This article is part 1 of a 2-part series. Check out part 2 on building social skills and maintaining relationships! ) As young adults on the autism spectrum transition to adulthood, they may

Using Task Analysis to Develop Independent Living Skills

Life is filled with routines. When you’re a student, you have years of repetition in a school setting to learn where to go when you arrive, how to get your lunch, transition in the hallways, and dress out for the gym. You’ve had the support of teachers and family to learn how to

Teaching Tools for Making Friends and Developing Online Relationships for Autistic Individuals

Learning social media skills and dating etiquette can be especially challenging for young autistic adults. This article provides tools for helping to learn new digital social skills for autistic individuals.

Herramientas de enseñanza para hacer amigos y desarrollar amistades en línea para personas con TEA

Aprender habilidades en las redes sociales y la etiqueta de citas puede ser desafiante especialmente para los jóvenes adultos con autismo. Este artículo proporciona herramientas para ayudar a aprender nuevas habilidades sociales digitales para las personas con TEA.

How to Help Autistic People Who May Be Feeling Suicidal

Taking action when someone is suicidal is critical to saving a life. This article will identify warning signs and what you can do to help.

Identity First: On Knowing Who You Are

What is the difference between “people-first” and “identity-first” language with regard to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? How do culture, identity, and statistics play a role in this question? How do you define yourself; how do you prefer to be recognized; and how do you know w

Autism and Teletherapy: It’s Working!

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Can ARIS Work for an Autistic 29-Year-Old?

Using t he ARIS® Academic Readiness Intervention System With My Brother, Tommy. With ARIS, Skill Development Can Happen at Any Age Early intervention is the prime advice for education and life skills in the autism community, but should intervention ever truly stop? Although clin

Autism and Substance Use Disorders: Is There a Connection?

A review of the research, risks, protective factors, and components of addiction, and a preview of treatment options for autistic individuals who struggle with the disease of addiction. 1

So You Want to Be a BCBA?

Maybe you’ve been working with an autistic child or adult and you’ve decided to make a career out of it. There are plenty of related jobs in fields like education and speech, but one of the most sought-after positions for supporting autistic people is that of a Board Certified B

5 Diverse Portrayals of Autistic Adults on TV

From Stereotypes to Paving the Way for a Diverse and Authentic Understanding of Autistic Individuals Taking a closer look at Abed Nadir, Hank Rizzoli, Matilda, Drea, and Nicholas In recent years, we have been seeing more diverse representations of autistic adults in the media, i

Teletherapy and Teletraining: A Solution to the Shortage of Qualified ABA Therapists

Concern has been expressed regarding a shortage of qualified Applied Behavior Analysts to meet the demands of a growing ASD population and also about the quality of training available to such providers. The prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has increased dramatically

Facing a Critical Shortage of ABA Therapists? Teletherapy Can Help

My Autistic Child is Thinking of Dating and--Gasp!--Sex?!!

Most parents are understandably anxious about the thought of their child eventually dating and becoming sexually active. That anxiety may be even greater for the parents of an autistic child. What’s a parent to do? The goal is to support every young person in healthy, optimal hu

Autism Influencers: Who to Follow

Interested in connecting with people in the autism community? Check out our list of influencers to follow on social media. Social Media is a powerful tool in the way it allows us to connect with friends and family, celebrities, and strangers with common interests from around the

Connected Fitness: A Great Alternative to the Gym for Autistic Teens and Adults

The Five Best Connected Fitness Activities for Autistic People

Finding Fun and Fitness: Exercise for Autistic Children and Young Adults

A growing community of inclusive exercise programs promises that fitness can be a source of fun, rather than one of frustration, for autistic children. By choosing activities that will have a greater likelihood of success for your child, by adapting exercise programs for your ch

Follow Your Passion: 5 Steps to Finding the Best Career Match for a Young Autistic Adult

1. Follow Your Passion I love flying! All my life I have been interested in anything aviation-related: airports, travel, planes.

Best Free Resources for Homeschooling Your Autistic Child

Top Work Places Supporting Autistic Adults

Autistic individuals too often have been underrepresented and discriminated against in employment. A 2017 report from Drexel University found that only 14 percent of autistic adults held paid jobs in their communities. Another study found that employment rates for autistic indiv

Young Adulthood on the Spectrum: An Interview with a Friend

Five Research-Based Strengths Associated with Autism

Genius, Attention to Detail, Problem Solving, Memory, and Visual Skills All children, whether or not they are neurotypical, have unique sets of strengths and weaknesses. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often also have some unique challenges to overcome in building r

Work Environments, Adjustments for Autistic Employees

Advice for entering the job world It is common knowledge that people with disabilities tend to experience higher rates of unemployment and underemployment. Many employers seem to be unwilling to give disabled individuals a chance when they feel that their company’s success is at

A New Education: Teaching Coding to Students with Autism

Although many students with autism possess incredible talents and abilities, especially related to spatial reasoning, only about 10 to 20 percent of adults with autism are employed (Born, 2011; Kavilanz, 2016). Providing code education to students with autism is not only critica

How To Make Life Easier for a Person Who Uses Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

As an autistic person, I am very familiar with AAC. I use it, and I am around others who use it too. Because it is AAC awareness month, I thought this was a good opportunity to write about it.

Autism Explained

An Autistic Woman Explains Common Autism Characteristics and Misconceptions Basics- What is autism? Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder. It is a condition that affects every part of a person’s life. Autism is diagnosed by looking at the three ‘pillars’ of autism: Repeti

Book Review: The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Whenever I sit down to write a new blog entry, I mentally acknowledge the importance of self-advocacy in the lives of people with autism. It is vital that we tell others how we are feeling and what we are thinking, so that the community can understand our needs. I write these bl

Stages Learning Serves as Incubator for New Harvard Graduate Student Interns

Back-to-school energy was in the air at the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s (HGSE) Fall Intern Fair where Stages Learning staff met and recruited eager and passionate new students who are excited about working with the autism community and are curious about how to leverag

Top Blogs by People with Autism

Nathan Hughes has curated a collection of the most useful and interesting blogs that are written by people like himself: People with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Nathan’s selections reflect a variety of experiences and provide advice, wisdom, experiences, poetry and art from people

Transition: A Guide to College Readiness and Applications for Students with Autism

Tips and Strategies for Transitioning to College with Autism Of the roughly 50,000 young Americans with autism who graduate from high school each year, less than 7,000 end up with a college degree (Wei et al 2015). This discouraging statistic has given rise to countless transiti

Career Choices for Autistic People: First Hand Advice

Finding a Job That Matches Your Skills Many people struggle with finding a job and establishing a career for themselves. In addition, there are often multiple applicants for only one job vacancy, which can be discouraging to any jobseeker. However, for autistic people, this sear

My Thoughts on School Experiences and Being on the Autism Spectrum

First Hand Experiences of Being a Student with Autism As an individual with Autism Spectrum Disorder, I have found myself reflecting on both the challenges and strengths that my differences have brought me. On one hand, I had a rather hellish experience with school for much of m

3 Ways to Build Skills for Transition Now!

Planning for a young adult with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) or other special needs to transition from special education to adult services can be overwhelming for children and their parents alike! Many parents are so intimidated by the transition process that they refuse to t