ASA's 37th National Conference on Autism Spectrum Disorders (July 13-15, 2006)

• Audio
• Recorded Presentation

Participants will gain information from professionals working hands-on, daily, with adults who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Participants will gain insight to the myriad issues in serving adults in community settings, especially in residential programs.

Participants will learn about some of the roadblocks to adult services and what can be and is being done (e.g., lack of training for direct care staff, costly staff turnover, and inadequate Medicaid reimbursement rates).

Participants will learn what they can do about it.

Participants will have an opportunity during the Q and A session to give feedback.

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Adults with autism, after aging out of the public school system, will find very few autism-specific services in their communities. Especially scarce are appropriate residential services, provided in community-integrated settings.

This presentation will discuss a successful working model of a program in Huntington, WV which includes homes with three clients, and 24/7 staff, often one staff to one client.

The residential program includes individualized services in natural-family homes, and in apartments--some with staff supervision, of varying intensity. The group homes are in regular neighborhoods. All clients have jobs, usually part-time, and with job coaches who are also staff at the residence. Some jobs are volunteer and without pay, but are considered excellent job training experiences. These include getting up on time, getting dressed appropriately, preparing/eating breakfast, cleaning up, arriving to work on time, receiving job assignments, doing employer-controlled and designated work, in a community worksite, and doing quality work.

A segment of the presentation will be on the critical issues involved in recruiting, hiring of staff, initial training, on-going in-service support, monitoring and the importance of oversight and hands-on supervision of managers who are knowledgeable and experienced in working with adults.

There will be stories and video of clients who, on admission, were on large doses of psychotropic drugs and out-of-control. Within a relatively short period of time, the client is participating, without major behavioral issues, in the life of his household (e.g., cooking, vacuuming, yard work), his neighborhood, his community, and eventually in a job.

An important component of the presentation will be a discussion of the Medicaid System and how it views individuals with autism and the impact Medicaid cuts and freezes have on the lives of these individuals and their families.

The important topic of philosophy, dignity, and respect for clients will be discussed. It is not enough to read an agency's brochures about how this is applied in their organization. The topic will be expanded to include the details: Is the bathroom clean? Is the kitchen neat and sanitary? Is the dining area one you'd like to eat in? Is the house attractive? Is the yard well kept? Are clients and staff well dressed? How do staff address and interact with clients? Are parents satisfied with the program? Do they trust the provider?

There are approximately 25-30 providers in the U.S. who voluntarily offer autism-specific services to adults, for a lifetime. Autism Services Center is one of these.

A Question and Answer session will be part of the presentation.