For Parents

Next year’s Autism Full Employment Act will be put together over the next several months with direct communication for the autistic community. The goal of this act is to improve employment opportunities for adults on the spectrum seeking work. 

University partners including UCLA and Cornell will be aiding the autism community in writing out the details of this act to hopefully complete the details by the end of 2020. Groups such as the Autism Society and Autism Speaks that already have some form of job placement programs will be expanded upon. All of the latest efforts to create jobs or place people with autism in jobs happening nationwide will be considered. While autism is specifically named, other developmental differences are meant to be included in the application of the act.

Typically, family members within companies will advocate for their loved ones so that they can find work at the same companies. The Autism Full Employment Act of 2021 will support and encourage actions like these, as well as other possibilities, such as forming groups and mentoring programs. Financial incentives from the government, such as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, are expected to help encourage employers to take on more workers on the spectrum. In light of the ongoing pandemic and monetary struggles, many businesses may welcome the funds and hire more people. The writers of the Act are looking to previous subsidies that have shown increases in hiring actions towards people with developmental differences.

There are several other important issues that will be addressed. One goal of this Act is to require state and local governments as well as private employers to hire a certain amount of people with developmental differences. Another issue is providing on-the-job-support from coaches, counselors and trainers in order to keep people working once they do get hired. Low payment for many of these positions is another problem that the Act hopes to address, both for those on the spectrum and their support workers. The Employment Act is also set to help those who may not have advanced or unique skills, so that they can also find appropriate work.

People in the autistic community not only struggle with finding work, but also underemployment. While they may be capable of certain more skilled jobs, they are sometimes placed in positions that they are overqualified for. This is due to a variety of factors, such as a lack of interview skills or communication skills. Many work programs were created for people with other kinds of disabilities, such as physical ones, which may not be satisfying for an autistic person who is more capable in certain ways. 

It is important for parents to investigate transitional programs for graduating students. By the age of 22, school provided programs come to and end. There are limited programs that help adults with autism, though many are beginning to form due to the increase in autistic adults in the population. Life skills and jobs skills training are essential. This Act will hopefully create more opportunities for autistics to find work.

Chesley Maldonado

Chesley Maldonado is a private tutor and freelance writer. She has been writing professionally for over ten years, and has been in education for nine years. As the homeschool mom of an autistic child, she brings a unique perspective to education and writing.

If you’re at all like me, back-to-school 2020 hit like a ton of bricks! I find myself still in adjustment mode both as a parent and an educator. I thought I was prepared after a few months of remote learning in the Spring, but everything feels totally different now. I’m still figuring out why. One of my theories is that our bodies and brains are no longer in survival mode. But the needs of our children, now that summer is over, require immense energy and innovation. This goes for their general daily needs as well as their educational needs. These two things are more enmeshed than ever. And, that immense energy and innovation is required of us as parents as well as our child’s providers.

I personally am finding articles written by parents and teachers to be a good source of inspiration these days. My energy is at least a little renewed when I read about how others are coping. So, in today’s post, we’ll be tackling one area of at-home learning: the daily schedule. My hope is that providing some examples will inspire you, a fellow parent in the back-to-school trenches. These schedules are intended to be modifiable. As always, accommodations and modifications are a critical component of successful education for children with autism and other special needs. You can adjust them to fit whatever schedule your school has provided for your child. After the schedules, you’ll see three extension strategies to help you adapt these long-term.

Schedule 1 (for the early riser)

• 7:00: Start morning routine
• Use a light-based clock like this one or this one for kids who wake up early and need to know when to stay in their room and rest or read, and when it’s OK to get up.
• 8:00: Start school day
• Many schools are doing two to three hour blocks of “live” or “synchronous” school in the mornings. These are broken up like:
  • 8:00 Morning Meeting
  • 8:30 Reading / ELA
  • 9:30 Break and Snack
  • 9:45 Math
  • 10:45 Class Check-In
  • 11:00 “Sign Off” (many teachers will instruct students to de-video and mute themselves during this time, rather than exit the meeting completely, before they walk away from the computer)

• 11:00: Lunch
  • I suggest making snacks available before lunch time, especially if your child is an early riser. This way they won’t be starving once lunch time arrives. Experiment with making the lunch block longer – 90 minutes to 2 hours – to facilitate rest and exercise time as well.
• 1:00: Second half of school day
  • Example afternoon block schedules might look like this:
    • 1:00 Science or Social Studies
    • 2:00 Small Groups / Rotations
    • 2:45 Independent learning time
    • 3:30 “Sign Off”
• 3:30: Parent-child check-in
  • This is a good time to see if your child has any homework or outstanding assignments. You can make a plan with them to complete the activities necessary, whether it’s on the same day or later in the week (many school districts are assigning Wednesdays to be fully independent, with no “live” classes).
• 4:00: Afternoon activity: get outdoors if possible. If it is not possible to go outside, help your child select a specific activity to do together, such as a short puzzle, board game, or LEGOs. Spend about ten minutes “front loading” your child with attention and coaching at the beginning of the activity. Then, if they can sustain play for the next ten to twenty minutes, that gives you time to step away to start dinner, close out work emails for the day, or tend to another daily task.
• 5:30: Dinner
• 6:00: Bedtime routine (includes shower or bath)
• 6:45: Reading time in bed
• 7:30: Lights out
  • My children fall asleep with the light on. We have other cues that represent “lights out.” For my son, this is setting aside the book he is reading on his tablet. For my daughter, this is putting away her books and getting tucked in with her pacifier and stuffed animal. I go back in later before I go to bed to turn the light off.

Schedule 2 (for the midmorning riser)

• 9:00: Start morning routine
• 9:30: Start school day
• If your teacher isn’t starting the morning meeting until 9:30, this should work fine. Or, if you are homeschooling, you can adjust the start time to fit your needs. Additionally, your child’s school day might not start with a morning meeting – students might be expected to do independent work in the mornings. This could allow a later “start time” for your child. Talk to your teacher to find out your options.

• 11:30: Lunch
• 1:00: Second half of school day
• 3:30: Parent-child check-in
  • This is a good time to see if your child has any homework or outstanding assignments. You can make a plan with them to complete the activities necessary, whether it’s on the same day or later in the week (many school districts are assigning Wednesdays to be fully independent, with no “live” classes).
• 4:30: Afternoon activity (outdoors or indoors)
• 6:00: Dinner
• 6:30: Bedtime routine (includes shower or bath)
• 7:15: Reading time in bed
• 8:00 – 8:30: Lights out

Schedule 3 (for the late sleeper)

You may have a teen in your household who tends to stay up later and wake up later. The schedule above can still be adjusted to fit a much later wake up time. However, managing the later night bedtimes can be a bit more difficult. If you have a child who can do independent leisure activities for a couple of hours before going to sleep, the following schedule may work for you.

• 10:30: Start morning routine
• 11:00: Start school day
• This time frame obviously isn’t likely to work if you are participating in a public or private school program, but check with the teacher just in case. If your child requires more radical schedule modifications to be successful, they may be able to facilitate an alternate schedule with you.

• 1:00: Lunch
• 1:30: Second half of school day
• 4:30: Parent-child check-in
• 5:30: Late afternoon / early evening activity (outdoors or indoors)
• 7:00: Dinner
• 7:30: Bedtime routine (includes shower or bath)
• 8:15: Independent activities and reading in bedroom
• 10:00: Lights out

Extension Strategies:

Cut: You will have days when there are just too many activities in the schedule. You might end up skipping whole blocks that are on the schedule (like the afternoon activity, if your child had a longer homework assignment that day). Or, you might find that the morning learning session runs all the way into the lunch period. You can cut out the longer portions of the lunch time to get back on track with the afternoon schedule if this happens. If you find that an activity is running behind early in the day, plan ahead to what future blocks in the day you can cut.

Expand: Similarly, you’ll have days when there just doesn’t seem to be enough to do to fill every block. These are great days to bring out some of those rainy day activities: puzzles, play dough, and baking brownies or muffins from a box. You can also extend certain academic activities. For example, play the audiobook version of the book your child is working on reading. For children who are just starting to read, you can find Youtube readings of lots of popular early readers online. For the late afternoon and before dinner period, you can expand activities by involving your child in the set-up and clean-up process. For example, if you are going for a walk, help your child go through each of the prep steps. They can get the water bottles ready, find jackets, put on shoes, and find keys. Coach them through each step and provide the help needed. This takes a long time, but if you have extra time to fill anyway, it’s a great way for them to practice new skills. 

Move On: Many families get to a point where they are ready to move on from an exact schedule. You may find you get into a daily rhythm and routine that works pretty well. If you are able to modify it as needed on a day to day basis, you can let go of the hour by hour breakdown. Just be ready to re-integrate it at the next transition (when school onsite resumes for at least part of the week, for example).

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Let’s talk about zoning your home to support your kids with autism. This strategy works well for a lot of families. We’re not talking about zoning for construction or renovation. Zoning your home for success is a lot more simple than that. Setting up zones in your home can help your child with autism understand their environment better. Zones help identify expectations for appropriate behavior, so you don’t have to. Zoning your home will take some time, trial, and error to set up. But, it pays dividends for a lot of families in peace and efficiency.

Why Zone?

You should consider zoning your home if:

1. Your child responds well to zones in another environment (such as at school or in their ABA clinic)

2. Your child is more calm when there are less distractions in the environment

3. Your child responds well to visual cues or signals (like a picture of a toothbrush and bathtub on the bathroom door, or a picture of shoes on the door to the backyard)

4. Your child demonstrates signs of stress in new or confusing environments

5. Your child has difficulty staying on track with routines when you are not present to direct them

6. Your child seems overwhelmed by lots of verbal directions

What is Zoning?

Zoning is setting up your home so that each area is clearly divided by purpose. There are many ways to zone. Here are some examples:

1. Zone by room: this is the most common way for lots of families to zone. This is because it follows the natural layout the home already has. Zoning by room means making the purpose of each room clear: the bedroom is for sleeping. The dining room is for eating. The playroom is for playing. The office is for homeschool or remote learning. The kitchen is for cooking or baking. It’s helpful to keep as many rooms as possible having only one purpose. That way it’s easiest for everyone to understand and follow the expectations of routines for each room.

2. Zone by area: this is the way a lot of teachers zone within their classrooms. Zoning by area is a great way to workaround small spaces like apartments. It can also work well for homes with open floor plans. Additionally, zoning by area can work well for families with multiple children sharing bedrooms. In zoning by area, clear visual markers are used to divide spaces within the same room by purpose and by person. For example, your dining area might be for homeschool or remote learning AND mealtimes. An easy way to zone the dining room by area is to use two colorfully distinct tablecloths. One tablecloth can be used during school time and one can be used during mealtimes.

3. Zone by materials: zoning by materials is another way to maximize a small space. This is also helpful when you have a lot of spaces in the home that need to function for multiple purposes. Zoning by materials means limiting what you put in a room to one purpose and storing everything else. For example, you might want your child’s room to function as a supervised play space during the day. But, you need to remove distractors at night in order for them to fall (and stay) asleep. Zoning by materials is a relatively simple way to deal with this. Select the toys that you want to be available during playtime, and put them in plastic storage bins that are easy to move around. Move the toy bins to the garage or another room at night. Bring them back out the next day when it’s time to play.

How to Zone:

Now that you understand why zoning can be useful, you might want to try it in your own home. Here is a brief outline of the process to use to set up zones. You can modify this checklist depending on what type of zoning you are doing. Additionally, there is no need to limit yourself to one of the three types of zoning described above. You can mix and match according to what works best for you and your family. One strategy might work well for certain rooms in your house. Another might work especially well for one floor. Also, you can zone according to other methods as well. The methods listed here are just a start!

Checklist to Zone:

1. Review each step of your daily routine. Are there areas where your child with autism seems confused or overwhelmed? Could adjusting the environment help?

2. If yes, identify the room associated with the routine or activity.

3. What is in the environment now? Take the time to actually visit the room and look around. You might be surprised by what you find. Often, things you have learned to overlook each day could be distractors for your child. Make a list of what is in the room. Mark the things that don’t serve the primary purpose or purposes of the room.

4. Clear out the things that are not necessary. See how your child responds.

5. If more adjustments are needed, make a plan. You may need to obtain additional materials – such as the multi-colored tablecloths or plastic storage bins mentioned above.

6. Teach your child how to use the room and its contents now. This is the most important step. It’s likely that your child will need at least some coaching on what to do in the room, now that you’ve cleared out distractors. They will need clear expectations about any new materials you introduce. You can also take this opportunity to reset expectations about behavior that is expected in the room in general. You do not need to use the word “zones” when you do this teaching. Use whatever communication system and vocabulary is easiest for your child to understand.

7. Monitor your child’s response to the newly adjusted environment, and continue to make adjustments as necessary.

Now you are ready to zone!

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA

Courtney Gutierrez, M.Ed., BCBA, LBA Courtney is a behavior analyst, educator, and writer in the Pacific Northwest. She has over fifteen years of experience in the field of autism services, and over ten years of master’s level experience in classroom teaching and ABA therapy. Her areas of expertise include infant and toddler development, parent coaching, ABA clinical leadership and training, P-12 special education, and case consultation for children and young adults with autism and other special needs. Courtney lives in Seattle with her husband and two children.

Dissatisfied parents are taking legal action to support their special needs children. Lawsuits have been filed against public schools for failing to provide necessary accommodating services in some states, including Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Hawaii by parents, special education advocates, and teacher’s unions. A class action lawsuit began at the end of July, filed with Federal District Court for the Southern District of New York. Nearly all public schools are under fire from this legal action, for violations of IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).

Many students with a wide variety of disabilities are unable to learn effectively over virtual platforms. Difficulties with technology, shorter attention spans, and the need for physical assistance with tasks is difficult or impossible, especially considering the hours of speech, occupational, and physical therapy often provided in person during school hours. During school shutdowns, many children suffered relapses or partial/full regression. Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) were all but forgotten for a while, as everyone adjusted to the new reality of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Now, with schools back in session, a reduction in services that were previously offered creates frustration and difficulty for parents hoping to get their children back on routine and on track with development. With policy changes, distance learning, reductions in staff and other issues, the needs of many students are not being met, and there are clear violations that are being pointed out with the lawsuit. The Patrick Donahue Law Firm along with the Brain Injury Rights Group is taking the public school system to court, naming not only the New York City School District, but public school districts all over the country. 

Other issues are being addressed under this class action lawsuit. Parents have suffered financially not only due to providing regular care for disabled students, but being forced to take off from work and getting therapies and other services (that the school would normally provide) from private agencies. The demand is for all vital in-person services to resume, as well as for IEPs to be reevaluated considering the changes in approach to education overall.  

Parents should respond immediately if they are contacted with information regarding this class action lawsuit if the public school district that they live in has been specifically named in the case as a defendant. There is no reason to do anything unless they receive communication about it in the mail. Schools are challenged with the difficult decisions related to virtual learning, in-person learning, hybrid learning, searching for the safest and most effective learning options for a majority of students. Many districts that have opened have also com under legal fire for poor reopening strategies, while others are being criticized for limiting education to virtual learning only. There is no easy solution to these issues, and clearly not the same answer will work for every student. Parents of special needs students, however, should be accommodated as best as possible, and they should not be expected to simply ignore what their children need to succeed at learning.

Chesley Maldonado

Chesley Maldonado is a private tutor and freelance writer. She has been writing professionally for over ten years, and has been in education for nine years. As the homeschool mom of an autistic child, she brings a unique perspective to education and writing.

Near the end of July this year, Netflix release an original series called “Love on the Spectrum.” The program follows a number of men and women on the autism spectrum in romantic situations. Many of them have struggled to find love, while a few of them have been able to really connect with someone else. There aren’t any eliminations, and they don’t try to have one person date a bunch of other people in order to pick one (like the Bachelor). While the show isn’t perfect, it can help more people understand some of the difficulties that autistics face romantically, and some of those challenges are just like the average person’s challenges.

The show reveals that people with autism do desire romantic connection with people, and they are quite capable of forming and keeping deep meaningful relationships. Depending on where they are on the spectrum, they might need more assistance with the social conventions of dating. This is where relationship expert Jody Rodgers appears on the show to help certain individuals develop the social skills necessary to begin and develop new relationships with others. Her methods are criticized for sometimes attempting to create typical behaviors and gestures that are just formalities, such as holding out a chair for someone. Conversation skills, eye contact, and body language are all practiced, but as one reviewer points out, the typical gestures may not make much of a difference dating someone else on the spectrum. It does seem to be, however, helpful for some of the people to at least help them begin to relate to their dates and attempt to connect.

The show focuses on matching autistics with other autistics. It would be interesting to see an average person relating on a romantic level with a person on the spectrum, without actually being on the spectrum themselves. There is a sort of autistic bubble created that is fairly unrealistic.

The truth is that dating can be hard for most people, on the spectrum or not. Finding things in common, being physically attracted to one another, and having the same goals and values are all part of searching for a good relationship. Struggling with loneliness and wanting to find that someone special is something that people who have autism deal with, just like everyone else. What is great about the show, is that they are so honest about what they want and if they want to move forward with dating a person or not. There is no pretense about how they feel or what they really want, and they don’t try to pretend to be someone that they are not in order to impress anyone. That is one of the most refreshing aspects of watching this show, and it raises the question of whether or not typical people have dating all wrong. The average person is not comfortable enough in their own skin to just be themselves and tell the truth to the face of a person they are dating if they aren’t what they are looking for. The autistic people on this show do not have that complication. 

Overall, it is a fun watch, and many scenes are somewhat endearing. It is a window into that world, but is by no means conclusive or representative of the entire autism spectrum, or of ethnicity, age or orientation. Love on the Spectrum is very entertaining. There are humorous moments when the honest, straightforward comments of some of the autistics on the show truly make others laugh. It is fascinating to watch how they relate to their families and then how they act on their dates. There is a lot of love and support on the show from family, and seemingly from behind the scenes. It is definitely worth the watch.

Chesley Maldonado

Chesley Maldonado is a private tutor and freelance writer. She has been writing professionally for over ten years, and has been in education for nine years. As the homeschool mom of an autistic child, she brings a unique perspective to education and writing.

Twenty-two year old Kayla Smith is an African American Autistic Activist that has been speaking up for the rights of disabled people for a few years. She has popular following on Twitter, and she is fighting for equal rights and more accurate representation for all people, especially autistics.

She was recently interviewed by In the Know, and featured on Yahoo! News marking the 30^th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She explained her journey thus far as a black autistic woman, which fits her into three categories that can use advocacy. She discussed her research into autism and how it has been diagnosed throughout the years. Smith saw problems with it, specifically how much longer it can take for people of color to receive a diagnosis of autism. It is her desire to see more representation of the wide variety of autistic people in the media. She notes that white males are shown more often than females or people of color. There is also a wide variety of abilities and behaviors that are not shown on television shows, movies, or the internet. 

A few years ago, when she first began to speak up, she engaged with #ActuallyAutistic. Smith doesn’t like the view that autism is something that needs to be “cured” or “fixed” and she wanted to help make a difference out there. Kayla Smith coined the hashtag #AutisticBlackPride which has truly gathered a following on Twitter @BeingKaylaSmith. Smith joined Twitter about five years ago, and didn’t know that she would become such a powerful voice for equal rights. She now has over 12,000 followers on the site. She describes herself as a “Young Black Autistic Disability Rights Advocate,” and has updated her name to read Kayla Smith for #BlackLivesMatter in light of the recent movement. She wants everyone to have equal rights, particularly those with disabilities. She wants people to listen and hear what others really have to say without getting offended.

In her interview with In The Know, she expressed how difficult it can be to have the responsibility to speak up on the issues in such a public way. Sharing her opinion has not always been met with acceptance, agreement or even courtesy. Sometimes she feels a little too much pressure from that, but she doesn’t allow it to stop her. She previously shared in an older interview with Medium that she had been bullied for her differences in school. There was even a time when she thought about suicide. Thankfully today, she has found love and acceptance in her family, and she is strong enough to speak up for others as well as herself. When she is not posting about the issues, she shares her everyday life with her followers. She works, goes to college, plays video games, and other things the average person does. It is important to her to share that not everyone labeled autistic is what has been shown in the general media. She wants everyone to have equal rights, particularly those with disabilities. She wants people to listen and hear what others really have to say without getting offended. Smith is an inspiration hoping to continue to inspire change.

Chesley Maldonado

Chesley Maldonado is a private tutor and freelance writer. She has been writing professionally for over ten years, and has been in education for nine years. As the homeschool mom of an autistic child, she brings a unique perspective to education and writing.