My husband told our son last week that people who went to college earned more than high-school graduates.  Today my son discussed with me his college aspirations - he's decided he doesn't want a roommate and wonders if we will give him a credit card.  He hasn't decided what he wants to 'be', but he has narrowed it down to animal zookeeper, video game company owner, or wrestler (!).

Pretty high aspirations (and unbelievable language) considering just four years ago his doctor told me he'd never even go to 'regular' school, I think!

These resources ( Understanding issues of time management, sensory overwhelm, day to day self-management. and Methods of supporting friendships, social relationships, and faculty and staff interactions. ) would be helpful to access NOW.

If anyone can direct me to resources for the elementary-aged set, I would appreciate it!

Kristina,

A  quick note. Recently I attended a workshop by Peter Gerhardt and Joanne Gerenser that made me think that what Peter, and Eden II, is doing that might well be worth looking at.

I suggest reading Stephen Shore's books, as a nice start for parents. For general planning, there are several Web sites and organizations dedicated to post-secondary options for students with autism. 

http://www.professorsadvice.com/ - Lars Perner

http://www.autisticplace.com/wiki/index.php?title=Education:Postsecondary 

(Careful about the wrapping - the last one is all one line.)

The LiveJournal.com group "Aspergers" also discusses education and life after high school on a regular basis. They used to have a book list, but LJ changed their group page formatting. I also have ordered a dozen or so books from Amazon to see what's out there. 

One of the issues I have encountered is that most students / people with an autism diagnosis do not disclose it at the university level. I didn't disclose during my MA, but did disclose a few months into my Ph.D. Never disclosed anything as an undergraduate... there were no services back then, anyway. 

I hadn't really thought about college. It didn't seem like a realistic option until schools contacted me. Otherwise, I doubt I would have done more than a local community college. It's good to have parents, teachers, and students realize there are options, now. 

I don't know if the presentations for Arc or AuSM are publicly available. If not, I can see about posting them somewhere with permission. Dakota County, MN, also has a complete booklet for parents and students to use, that goes from being a self-advocate during IEP years to preparing for college or work. 

http://www.nfld.k12.mn.us/studentserv/transitiontracker.pdf

Report on Autism Spectrum Disorder in Dakota County

Your Transition IEP Checklist

I have printed copies of the Dakota guide. It's a very nice booklet, but I cannot find the new version online anywhere. Frustrating. 

Can't say I ever had a "regular" educational experience. But, I did manage to navigate the system. 

I took the course being offered at Penn. It was really eye-opening and educational. We already used most of the supports taught for my son and he had a really good year. I highly recommend that course. In fact it teaches alot of life/skills self-advocacy skills in addition to handling a post-secondary system.

Hmmm... I used to do software bench testing for a couple of years.

@Christopher - thanks for the references.  BTW -  that was the doctor's response when I expressed concern about my son not being ready for school.  Pretty harsh, hm? (luckily, it was also very WRONG)  It wasn't the only non-PC thing he told me, he also said 'you don't find autistic kids in trailer parks' - I'm still not sure what that means. 

@Mark - if you would be inclined to share your thoughts on how to engage a little guy like mine in programming, I'd love to hear them.  He *loves* video games - and figured out himself how to go onto "you ta buh" (what he called youtube) and learn all the 'tricks'...  

Unfortunately, he also found a lot of videos with bad words - and mixing a smart boy (with social delays yet who wants to make people laugh) with bad words has been very uncool.  Though, I did realize that 'potty humor' is one type of humor that transcends age, culture, education... no matter who you are - you can relate to potty humor.  I am challenged to find something else that will generate as much attention for him as potty humor...  I'm not convinced everyone outgrows potty humor, they just learn where it is appropriate.

@Cheryl: the worst thing a teacher ever said during my early education was a snide comment about trailer park trash. My parents spent their entire savings, and more, paying for my early medical care. We lived in a single-wide and then a double-wide trailer for years. 

I've learned that school personnel, even at the university level, think nothing of insulting working-class people who struggle to stay afloat. 

Also... I was a mainframe programmer for years. My computer background has afforded me most of the best opportunities in life. Programming paid for my university education. 

(see: http://www.tameri.com/csw/tech/techexp.html which I am updating and editing.)

There are some great educational programming tools, including Squeak (Smalltalk), StarLOGO TNG (my univ. students love it), BlueJ (for Java), and many, many others. I also use REALbasic because it has good game tools. The best game-centric programming tools might be DarkBASIC and Blitz:

http://darkbasic.thegamecreators.com/

http://blitzmax.com/

The Blitz toolkit is used to create games for Windows, Mac, and even consoles. Very nice game support.

Eventually, a serious game programmer has to master C/C++ and advanced mathematics. Though BASIC is often dismissed as a toy, I think its fine for learning concepts and logic.

If anything, my lack of focus has always been a problem. Unlike the stereotype of a student with autism, I wanted to be everything. I still have no clue what I will be from year to year. 

And a new program in NJ brings high school students with disabilities to work with undergraduate mentors at Seton Hall university (my old employer....).

http://www.northjersey.com/news/health/Program_helps_high_schoolers_with_autism_gain_independence.html

@Christopher:  I'm sorry you had such an insensitive teacher! Hopefully your awareness of your parents' love for you in their absolute willingness to sacrifice material things for your well being more than made up for it.  I think my doctor was trying to say that autistic kids had parents who were engineers, attorneys, professors, doctors, and others typically of above-average intelligence.  Certainly that has been the case in the families I have known with autistic children, and it can't just be a reflection of our social circles because, if it weren't for autism, I wouldn't have HAD a social circle - we didn't socialize much at all and it was only after I began to suspect ASD that I began to seek other parents actively.

Those links look interesting, do those programming tools allow programming of violent games?  I am trying to steer clear of violent games as much as possible.  My son has had problems with aggression - and though it may be possible that violent games may be 'safe' outlet, I tend to think it will just reinforce aggressive behavior.  In view of Kristina's post about language and deciphering the intended message, I recognize my son acts aggressive because he feels weak (he knows other kids his age can run faster, don't tire as easily, can write legibly longer, etc).   Better kick him off the computer and back onto his bike!  :O)

It was not one teacher -- it has been a problem from pre-school through the university experience. Even local groups where I speak are dominated, as might be expected, by the parents with the most resources. 

I can't really judge what my parents did. I assume most parents understand they have an obligation to care for any child. I'm more confused when parents ignore such responsibilities. 

Also, I don't think my parents would have ever joined any support groups, organizations, or whatever. The could not care less about such things. I inherited the same general approach. I speak to groups, but am active in organizations related to my vocations and avocations, not autism or any topic remotely similar. 

As for creativity:

The tool never controls what sort of creation is made. I can make a horribly violent game in any computer language, just as I can write a blood-soaked novel with a pen, pencil, or at my computer. To my knowledge, no word processor prevents me from typing horrible scenes, just as no set of paints limits what I can or cannot paint. 

Honestly, puzzle games make more money (witness the Nintendo DS) because they cost less to produce. Plus, I'd rather solve puzzles than shoot anything. 

Sorry, but any computer tool can create almost any set of images and results. It's what's in the mind that ends up on the screen. 

Nowadays it's hard to find a job because of the recession. There are many got unemployed and seeking job now. As a worker, I am also a blood donor to help on my daily needs. I think this is a very big help for the students who are seeking for a part time job now or got unpaid internship and especially it is summer time which are some of us need extra income. I'm donating for 2 years now and it really helps because every donation I make up to $50/hour for blood donation. As we all know, Blood bank shortages kill tons of people all the time and it is the time to spread the word about blood donation and give blood, you will never know when YOU might need blood. This really helpful even it is just a part time job, the bottom line of this is to saved lives.

If you are thinking to be a blood donor and looking for specific blood banks and a directory of blood donation centers you can check it out here at bloodbanker dot com/banks.