June 14, 2009
Is Facebook a Bane or Boon for ASD Kids?

By Jeanne Holverstott, M.S.

Q: What do you think about kids on the spectrum using Facebook? My son seems to be addicted it. He goes on and checks out what other kids post, yet never posts his “status.” Also, none of his connections seem to be true friends who call, visit, etc. What do you think of this?

A: You can’t judge a book by its cover, and this is the case with Facebook. On the surface Facebook, a social networking website highly popular among adolescents and adults, is a great thing: a website not related to an obsession, a website that allows an individual on the spectrum to make and interact with friends. Better than sliced bread, you might be thinking.
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June 1, 2009
Helping People with Autism Find Careers

By Kate Duffy

When asked to co-author a book about career planning with Temple Grandin, the noted autistic animal scientist and entrepreneur, I jumped at the opportunity.

Our book, Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-functioning Autism (published 2004, by AAPC), provides concrete vocational guidance for adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum. It also is a guide for the faculty, counselors and family members who work with them, the “helpers” in their lives.
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ASK AN AUTISM SPECTRUM SPECIALIST

Games to Enhance Turn-Taking, Sportsmanship, Social Skills

By Jeanne Holverstott, M.S.

Q. I read that when Temple Grandin was a young girl, her mother hired a nanny to play turn-taking games with her to improve social skills. What sort of games do you recommend? Are there any that you don’t recommend?

A. After every holiday meal, my family would gather around the dining room table with a game purposefully selected by my mother for this occasion. I remember Taboo, Scattergories, Trivial Pursuit, Outburst. No matter the age of the player, the expectations were the same: follow the rules, win with humility, lose with grace, do your best, and never, ever complain. Games make up the fabric of a childhood and, perhaps, a lifetime, and appropriate game play opens doors to respect, friendship, and fun.

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DEVELOPING TALENTS

Intervene, Intervene, Intervene

By Kate Duffy

A while back, Toni, the SpectrumConnection editor, asked me to write about how far parents should go to help their teens on the spectrum land a job. Since then, several of our Hot Topics parents have shared their kids’ job search stories with me, and I realized there was no easy answer to her question. For the most part, though, their stories revolved around the kids’ inability to accurately read situations, to remember instructions and to multitask to make a deadline. Looking at that list, it sounds like business as usual on the job for most of us — which is why it is so very important that our kids start learning about the world of work as soon as they can.

That’s why the short answer to Toni’s question is this: do what you need to do.

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