Tech company seeks out employees with autism

by Beth Finke

An Associated Press article quotes Scott Standifer of the University of Missouri’s Disability Policy and Studies office delivering a pretty startling statistic:

A 2009 U.S. Department of Education survey found the employment rate for young adults with autism was on par with that for deaf-and-blind young adults, and well below the rate of those with blindness alone or learning disabilities or traumatic brain injuries.

The article applauds the efforts of a non-profit right here in the Chicago area that uses the talents of young adults with autism to find software bugs. Aspiritech (the name plays on the words “Asperger’s,” ”spirit” and “technology”) was founded by Moshe and Brenda Weitzberg after their son Oran, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 14, was fired from a job bagging groceries.

Aspiritech provides meaningful work (pay is $12 to $15 an hour) in a relaxed environment where bosses never yell if you’re late and nobody minds if you need to be alone for a while. What’s more, the company is building social skills. The software testers, who are in their 20s and 30s, are trained to work together and they take part in organized outings: miniature golf, bowling, eating at a restaurant.

“We want to improve social skills among people who tend to be socially isolated,” said Marc Lazar, Aspiritech’s autism specialist. For many of them, software testing is not going to be their lifelong career, Lazar said, “but while they’re here they’re going to improve their job skills and they’re going to learn what kind of behavior is expected on the job and they’re going to have more to put on their resumes.”

The article also quotes Molly Losh, an autism researcher at Northwestern University, explaining that most research dollars have gone toward studying children with autism while adults have been neglected. “Our vocational structure really isn’t suited to funnel people with autism into the workforce,” Losh said. Aspiritech “is a magnificent and innovative venture,” she said. I agree.

Kudos to Aspiritech for increasing awareness of the needs of adults with autism, and addressing those needs where it counts the most: in the workplace.

Two award-winning middle-grade books about autism

by Beth Finke

With kids back in school, I thought this might be a great time to recommend two children’s books about autism. Al Capone Does My Shirts and Rules were both included on a American Library Association list of “outstanding books that portray emotional, mental, or physical disability experiences.” Here’s how the American Library Association describes the two books about autism on the list:

Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts. Putnam’s Sons, 2004.
Twelve-year-old Moose Flanagan moves to Alcatraz Island in 1935 when his father takes a job at the maximum-security prison there. Moose struggles to make friends while taking care of Natalie, his older autistic sister, and their mother unrealistically tries to have Natalie accepted at a special school. For grades 5 to 8. Newbery Honor book, 2005.

Lord, Cynthia. Rules. Scholastic Press, 2006.
Sometimes twelve-year-old Catherine resents her brother David, who is autistic, breaks all the rules, and gets all her parents’ attention. Then she meets Jason, a teenage nonverbal paraplegic, at David’s therapy center. As the two become friends, Catherine realizes that accepting differences matters more than any rules. For grades 5 to 8. Schneider Family Book Award, 2007.

Happy reading!

The doctor is in

by Beth Finke

Hey, check this out! Patricia Wright, the National Director of Autism Services at Easter Seals, was interviewed for a podcast this month about autism and technology for Assistive Technology Update. Assistive Technology Update is a weekly dose of information that keeps listeners up to date on the latest developments in the field of technology designed to assist people with disabilities and special needs.

The Assistive Technology Update is a fast-paced weekly update for assistive technology professionals and enthusiasts, and the podcasts are available for free on the Indiana Assistive Technology Act (INDATA) web site:

Easter Seals Crossroads has been providing assistive technology solutions in Indiana since 1979. In 2007, Easter Seals Crossroads partnered with the State of Indiana, Bureau of Rehabilitative Services to establish the Indiana Assistive Technology Act (INDATA) Project. The INDATA Project is one of 56 similar, federally-funded projects designed to increase access and awareness of assistive technology.

Give the podcast a listen — trust me, Dr. Wright knows what she’s talking about!

A good night’s sleep

by Beth Finke

Our son Gus turned 25 earlier this month. In some ways it is nearly impossible to believe he’s that old already. But then when I think about it, hmmm. He really did age us when he was still living at home! Gus has always had problems falling asleep. And then he had problems staying asleep. As a result, so did we.

A post on Autism Research Blog: Translating Autism reviewed an article in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry called Sleep Patterns in Preschool-Age Children With Autism, Developmental Delay, and Typical Development. The study found that children with autism sleep significantly less than typically developing kids in a 24-hour period. Of particular interest to me was the fact that typically developing kids had more awakenings than children with autism, but when kids with autism woke up in the night, they’d stay up significantly longer.

This suggests that while children with autism do not seem to have difficulty staying asleep, they do experience difficulty falling asleep after sleep interruptions.

This has always been the case with our Gus. He lives in a group home now, and when we went to visit on his birthday, staff members told us that even now when Gus wakes up in the middle of the night, it’s pretty impossible to convince him to go back to sleep. It goes without saying that we’ve missed having Gus at home since he moved away, but gotta admit: I really do appreciate a good night’s sleep now.

Early intervention: a wise investment

by Erin Rogers

Easter Seals Peoria-Bloomington was mentioned in the Journal Star earlier this month. The article, “In the Spotlight: Early Intervention Program at Risk Again,” was written by Sue Yoder, chair, Easter Seals Peoria-Bloomington’s Board of Directors, and discussed the importance of early intervention services and why they should be a priority for state and federal policymakers. In the article she gave terrific reasons why early intervention is a worthwhile investment:

• One in every 110 children is diagnosed with some form of autism. For boys it’s one in every 70. That’s a new diagnosis every 20 minutes in the U.S.
• The average age for children to receive an autism diagnoses is 4 1/2 years, but it is possible to diagnose children as early as the age of 2. Earlier detection gives children with developmental needs a critical window of opportunity and access to early intervention and services.
• Some 25 percent of American children under the age of 5 are at risk for developmental delays or behavioral problems, yet 1.5 million at-risk children go unidentified every year.
• Last year, 14 percent of young children had a special health need, but only 3 percent received needed services.

Sue ended her piece by encouraging readers to add a candidate’s position on full funding for early intervention to their priority checklist as the next election cycle begins. That’s good advice for all of us as we advocate for critical services for children living with autism and other delays and disabilities.

Raising Superman

by Beth Finke

Our office was all atwitter last week — Easter Seals Headquarters is located in the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) in Chicago, and last week they were filming the new Superman movie, Man of Steel on the 25th floor. Right above us! Cosmic Book News explains, “the Board Of Trade Building will serve as exterior, with Willis Tower as interior for the Daily Planet.”

What a perfect segue to a book called Raising Superman: Autism 101. The book was written by Howard L. Rogers, the father of six children. Twenty years ago his oldest son was diagnosed with “one of the worst cases of autism their doctors and specialists had ever seen,” and Rogers says he wrote this book to help parents fight their own personal autism battles. His son’s severe autism and mental retardation caused continuous issues, problems and situations in his life that were unlike anything his family had ever dealt with before, and he says he felt that “few if any people on the planet had any idea what we were faced with on a daily basis.” He explains the title, Raising Superman, on his web site:

We needed to become “Super Advocates” to address all of our son’s “super special needs.” In addition, over the years we learned that although our son was our special superman, we were not. We had limits to what we could deal with emotionally, spiritually and financially. He continually challenged the limits of what we were capable of, making the need for these secrets, solutions, strategies and shortcuts even more vital for our family to survive. Hence the title of “RAISING SUPERMAN!” as he’s our special little superman and we’re his super advocates!

Back here at Wilis Tower, Clark Kent must have been working hard to advocate for good in his Daily Planet office upstairs last week — there sure was a lot of noise coming through the ceiling! We’re all wondering if we’ll be able to figure out what they were filming when, but that’llhave have to wait until next year, when the movie comes out.

Portraits in the park!

by Beth Finke

I love this idea! Project Onward, a program here in Chicago that supports the creative growth of visual artists with autism and other developmental disabilities, is offering portrait sessions on-site at Millennium Park on weekdays from 10:30 am to 3:30pm. Portrait sittings take about half an hour, and they’re promoted as “a great way to obtain cool and affordable original art.” While it’s true the artwork is affordable (Project Onward artists create the portraits for only $15), the way I look at it, the truly priceless part of the whole experience is the way the sittings give folks a chance to get to know these artists and to support the amazing work they do.

The portrait project is set up in a lovely space inside Millennium Park: lots of Adirondack chairs for visitors to sit in, plenty of space for the artists to work — you couldn’t ask for a more lovely setting. Explore Chicago (the city’s official tourism site) describes all the things Project Onward provides for artists with autism and other developmental disabilities:

Located in the historic Chicago Cultural Center, Project Onward provides workspace, art materials, professional guidance, and opportunities for exhibition and sales to artists who have exceptional talents but face challenges ranging from autism to mental illness.

Artists from Project Onward will be creating portraits at Millennium park on a first come, first served basis until Thursday, September 15. What a terrific idea!

TV’s Parenthood honored for informing viewers about autism

by Kristen Barnfield

The season three premiere of NBC’s Parenthood is just days away. Who is excited to dive back into the lives of the Bravermans? Me! I love this TV show, and I was happy to find out from Disability Scoop that Parenthood is being recognized by a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-backed initiative for addressing an important public health issue on television.

The drama, which focuses on one family’s experience raising a boy with Asperger’s syndrome, is one of eight finalists for the Sentinel for Health Awards. The honor goes to television shows with storylines that “inform, educate and motivate viewers to make choices for healthier and safer lives.” In particular, those behind the awards highlighted an episode I wrote about in a post here earlier this year: it’s the episode where Adam and Kristina Braverman struggle with how to tell their son, Max, about his Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis.

Haven’t seen the show yet? Tune in! I’m certain you’ll fall in love with the Bravermans just like I have. The new season starts Tuesday, September 13 at 10:00 p.m., Eastern time. Be sure to watch, and share your thoughts on Max and the Braverman’s with us — we’d love to hear your perspective!

Art exhibit features photography by young woman on the spectrum

by Beth Finke

Today is the opening of An exhibit at the Smithsonian Institute featuring 15 emerging artists (Ages 16-25) with disabilities. A story in the Washington Post explains:

The artists were selected in a juried competition organized by VSA, an affiliate of the Kennedy Center. VSA was formerly known as Very Special Arts. It was founded by Jean Kennedy Smith, the last living sibling of President John F. Kennedy.

When I gave the folks at VSA a call to learn more about the exhibit, they told me that Caitlin Miller, one of the chosen artists, has Asperger Syndrome. From her bio on the Kennedy Center web site:

Miller says that “Because I often struggle to express with words, photojournalism has given me the opportunity to tell a story through a series of photographs.” With a focus on disability studies, Miller’s recent works have included photographic stories about children and adults on the autism spectrum. This series documents the challenges, both internal (biology) and external (cultural and societal forces) of living with a disability.

The exhibition is titled Momentum and will be at the Smithsonian until January 22, 2012. Pretty darn cool.

New Batman story has a character with autism

by Lynn Dudek

It’s 1977 and I’m 8 years old (yes, I’m old). My 13-year-old cousin is running into the house with a prized possession under his arm. I follow him upstairs to his room where he carefully removes a very thin comic and places it in a plastic sleeve. He then puts that precious plastic sleeve into the perfect spot — at least to him. All I saw was a sea of hundreds of comics In milk crates along the entire wall of his bedroom, all BATMAN!

I made the mistake of asking my cousin if I could read one of his books. Very quickly he informed me that I was to never touch his collection. “And they are called comics,” he added. “NOT books.”

So began my introduction to Batman comics. My cousin still has his collection, and I’m still not allowed to touch any of them. I did end up with a few of my own (especially around the time the movies were released) and ya know what? They are enjoyable.

So now, 34 years after making the unthinkable mistake of referring to a comic as a book, I finally see why kids (and a lot of adults) collect these things. I understand that protecting them and putting them in order serves a certain satisfaction. I get why Sheldon on Big Bang Theory has to find the right comic to make his collection complete, and I can still see the thrilled expression on my cousin’s face when he found the exact comic he was desperately hunting for. Then he went for a snack of potato chips and ketchup- but that’s another story!

Now that we’re in 2011, when things of our childhood can be so easily lost, it is so very cool to see that Batman is back with new stories and new characters. And get this — Disability Scoop reports that a new Batman story has a character with autism.

It focuses on Lucas, a boy with autism, whose parents are arguing about whether he should be reading comics. As he crawls into bed, Lucas notices something outside his window. When he checks out the fire escape, Lucas finds himself in the middle of a battle between Batman and supervillain Solomon Grundy.

The Batman story is titled “One Lock, Many Keys” and Disability Scoop says it touches on how Lucas progresses developmentally through his adventure with Batman. I might have to get my hands on this book, I mean, comic. And hey, I’ll call my cousin and tell him about it, too. Maybe then he’ll let me read a comic from his collection!