Tag: school
Autistic adults, advocates, visit Washington
AXCESS NEWS
The Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism recent Congressional briefing brought together policymakers and advocates, including this young man with autism who described his goals and college dream.
Joey Rosenbloom, 22, uses a “life writer” to communicate. Sharen Rosenbloom assists her son in every task, from tying his shoes to combing his hair. But the reality Joey faces is what will happen when his mother is gone – an issue that 500,000 autistic children growing into adulthood must figure out. Autism spectrum disorder ranges from mild to severe developmental disabilities. ASD affects people in social and behavioral ways. Some are unable to develop life skills because they cannot speak and are unable to interact with people, while others cannot control their actions. Autism is not just a childhood disease – it never goes away. The Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism consortium met in Washington on Thursday to urge policymakers, advocates and others to make numerous changes. Those include training service providers how to interact with autistic people, new funding to meet individual needs and expanding incentives for housing. Joey and five other autistic people, ages 22 to 54, told the audience of 250 people what they face now and what’s ahead.”My goal is to find a university longing to house and educate individuals living with autism,” Joey said, using his device. “I dream of living on a campus and learning from professors and not just special educators.” via Autistic adults face insecure future.
Posted on July 21, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: adults with autism, Autism, College, employment, school, teenagers with autism
Mom, school never gave up on student diagnosed with autism
The Daily News, Batavia, N.Y.
Here’s a great story about an autistic student in New York state whose mother and teachers looked beyond his non-verbal autism and used his abilities to help him get an education. Congratulations, Kevin, on your graduation from high school!
BATAVIA — Kevin Larson’s future was pretty shaky when he entered the city school district eight years ago.Diagnosed with autism, his prior school district had questioned his ability to thrive in a regular school setting.
When he arrived in Batavia, Kevin was “marginally verbal” and could not read. Previous school faculty had underestimated his intelligence and did not believe that he could succeed, autism consultant Maryruth Morris said.
So it is with special pride that his mom Debbie will watch the 19-year-old accept his Regents diploma this weekend along with fellow BHS graduates. Larson credits Morris, the city school district, special education teacher Charlene Mierzwa and Trisha Finnigan, director of special and alternative education.
Posted on June 22, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism, Caregiving | Tags: children with Autism, school
Program could smooth a hard road to college for student with Down syndrome
Kansas City Star
A new program in Missouri is aimed at helping students with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities experience college and build skills that will take them from home to independence and employment. It’s called THRIVE – for Transportation, Health, Responsibility, Independence, Vocation, Education. Read this Kansas City Star story about a possible participant in the THRIVE program.
Ask Mary Warm about her hope for her future, and she cocks her head. The bushy ponytail swings, the smile spreads across her face.
“I love kids, being around kids and hanging out with them, so I want to be a teacher,” said Warm, 18, a junior at Archbishop O’Hara High School in Kansas City.
For most teens Warm’s age, her goal is fairly easily reached with good grades in high school and four years of hard work in college. But for Warm, who has Down syndrome, a chromosomal disorder resulting in cognitive disabilities, it’s not as easy.
But the University of Central Missouri’s THRIVE program, which starts this fall, could well be a big step toward making it easier after she graduates from O’Hara.
via Program could smooth a hard road to college for student with Down syndrome – KansasCity.com.
Posted on June 18, 2010 | 1 Comment | Category: Down Syndrome | Tags: College, Down Syndrome, employment, Missouri, school
Nonverbal autistic student to give commencement address
North County Times
There will be an inspiring commencement speaker today at Torrey Pines High School in California — non-verbal autistic student Jeremy Sicile-Kira. In the North County Times article below, Jeremy said he’ll tell his classmates to never give up on themselves.
Most people would consider scaling Mount Everest or winning a Nobel Peace Prize an impressive feat, but Jeremy Sicile-Kira —- who was diagnosed at age 3 with severe autism —- is scaling heights that are equally impressive.
On Friday, the 21-year-old is set to become the first nonverbal autistic student to receive a full academic diploma from Torrey Pines High School, San Dieguito Union School District officials said.
He will also give the school’s commencement address, which has been prerecorded using a computer voice generator that translated his typed speech into an audio file burned onto a CD.
via SOLANA BEACH: Nonverbal autistic student to give commencement address.
Posted on June 18, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: Autism, children with Autism, school
Students With Autism Learn How To Succeed At Work
NPR
People with autism often have a hard time finding and keeping jobs, so more schools are creating programs to help students with autism get prepared for the workplace. One of those programs helped change the life of Kevin Sargeant.Just a few years ago, when Kevin was still in elementary school, things weren’t looking good for him. He was antisocial, desperately unhappy and doing poorly in school.
“He was pretty much a broken child, the way I would describe it,” says his mother, Jennifer Sargeant. “We really didn’t see that he would be able to go to college, even have a job. That just wasn’t in our future for him.”
Kevin, now 18, says his autism left him unable to handle the social interactions at school.
via Students With Autism Learn How To Succeed At Work : NPR.
Posted on June 14, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: adults with autism, employment, school
Students cast nearly unanimous vote for Prom Queen with Down syndrome
The Batavian
Colleen Fisher just may be the most popular Prom Queen ever selected at Oakfield-Alabama High School.
In a landslide of ballot votes, the 18-year-old garnered all but about two votes to be crowned at the junior/senior prom held at Stafford Country Club.
She is a graduating senior, very well liked, who happens to have Down syndrome.
“She is a wonderful young girl,” said High School Principle Lynn Muscarella.
via O-A casts nearly unanimous vote for Prom Queen with Down syndrome | The Batavian.
Posted on June 11, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Down Syndrome | Tags: Down Syndrome, school
iPod technology helping autistic students
South Shore Now
Here’s a story about a Nova Scotia school district that’s providing disabled students, including non-verbal autistic children, with iPods. Each student’s iPod Touch can be loaded with apps suitable for his or her needs.
LUNENBURG – Early in 2009 the South Shore Regional School Board’s SSRSB Assistive Technology AT Centre introduced the iPod touch to their programming as a method of providing engaging and portable opportunities of inclusion to students with disabilities who live in the area.
Now, a year later, over 50 students from schools across the district have had both their scholastic and personal lives changed for the better as a result of the technology.
AT specialist Barbara Welsford says iPods are multi-functional devices that can be programmed with applications, or apps, which are specific to each student’s individual needs. “It’s all app specific and that’s the neat thing. It’s a hand-held, multi-functional device,” she explains. “The teachers are saying they are able to better communicate with students and from our perspective … it’s a motivational device which offers rewards and social supports.”
Posted on June 9, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: Autism, children with Autism, school, technology
Activity helps kids learn about autism
Decatur, Ill., Herald-Review
Sometimes Madison Roberson has to explain her younger brother’s behavior to her friends.
Justin Grider is in second grade and has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism, and though he is an outstanding student academically, his social skills often are lacking, which is typical of autism. Autistic kids don’t always understand when someone is kidding or that they should respect personal space.
“I know my brother doesn’t have a lot of friends because people think he’s not nice,” said the fourth-grader at Hope Academy. “I had this friend, and I just told her that he’s the same as any of us, so just treat him nice. If she has a question, she just asks me, and she understands it better now.”
via Activity helps kids learn about autism.
Posted on May 10, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: activities, children, children with Autism, school, siblings
Inclusion for children with Down syndrome in mainstream classrooms
Brighthub
Studies show children with Down Syndrome benefit from inclusion in the regular classroom. However, one of the risks of inclusion is that children will be placed in the mainstream classroom and without proper inclusion strategies to learn in that environment. Here are tips for successful inclusion.
via Inclusion for Children with Down Syndrome in the Mainstream Classroom.
Posted on April 26, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Down Syndrome | Tags: Down Syndrome, school
College and special needs students
examiner.com
Can my special needs student go to college?
That is the question that is often on the mind of a parent whose children have special needs, especially this time of year.
The short answer is yes. There are things that parents can do to help their child have a successful academic career while at college.
via Can my special needs student go to college?.
Posted on April 21, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: Autism, College, school, special needs