Event Title
Location
Olney Hall 101
Start Date
6-5-2016 9:15 AM
End Date
6-5-2016 10:30 AM
Brief Biography
Autism has been a part my life since the beginning. When I was diagnosed with Aspergers in high school, little did I know that it would set a course for the rest of my life. Rather than blame Aspergers for any misfortune that had happened to me, I made it my mission to embrace it and use what I have learned to help others like me. I went to college to study psychology because I wished to gain an understanding of human behavior, which seemed to come naturally to neurotypical people, but was foreign to me at the time. Through my experiences in college, I gained a vast understanding of other people as well as my own behaviors. Soon afterward, I started working at the Y.A.L.E. School with a wide range of students on the Autism Spectrum. I learned how to help them get ready for next stages in life, using my own experiences from being on the spectrum as my greatest teaching tool. I have also worked with youth on the Autism Spectrum in crisis at Foundations Behavioral Health, and continue to mentor adults on the Autism Spectrum in the community.
Description
This workshop explores the process of entering college and then the work force from the perspective of someone who is on the Autism Spectrum. From your child learning to be an independent individual on the college scene (joining clubs, making friends, and in other social situations) and succeeding in his or her college classrooms. We will also be exploring what it is like to enter the work force after leaving college and how someone who is on the Autism Spectrum looks for work and how she or he learns to work in a new environment. Topics include getting your outfit ready for work, getting along with their coworkers and boss, and giving good customer service in one’s own profession. We will also be exploring how parents of autistic children can learn to incrementally step back to allow their children to independently learn what the world has offer adults in college and in a work environment. Sam will also discuss how he personally overcame such challenges as a young adult on the Autism Spectrum, providing a fresh understanding of what it’s like to be a young adult on the Autism Spectrum, and inspire others to let autistic people grab hold of their own lives and thrive.
Arriving on a Different Planet: Navigating College and Employer Expectations while on the Autism Spectrum
Olney Hall 101
This workshop explores the process of entering college and then the work force from the perspective of someone who is on the Autism Spectrum. From your child learning to be an independent individual on the college scene (joining clubs, making friends, and in other social situations) and succeeding in his or her college classrooms. We will also be exploring what it is like to enter the work force after leaving college and how someone who is on the Autism Spectrum looks for work and how she or he learns to work in a new environment. Topics include getting your outfit ready for work, getting along with their coworkers and boss, and giving good customer service in one’s own profession. We will also be exploring how parents of autistic children can learn to incrementally step back to allow their children to independently learn what the world has offer adults in college and in a work environment. Sam will also discuss how he personally overcame such challenges as a young adult on the Autism Spectrum, providing a fresh understanding of what it’s like to be a young adult on the Autism Spectrum, and inspire others to let autistic people grab hold of their own lives and thrive.