Inclusion and more

In 2009,  I officially got involved in SARRC's programs- Autism CommunityWorks and classes about employment and personal finance. The second I walked into the Vocational and Life Skills Academy I felt welcomed right away by staff and participants.  I learned new skills like how to fill out job applications,  how to dress appropriately at work and how to interact with my peers.  My involvement in SARRC's programs gave me a cause to promote. I made the Autism Speaks walk in partnership with SARRC my fundraising focus for a few consecutive years. One year I raised over $3,000 for SARRC with a goal of helping SARRC reach more possible clients who have autism.  I did not raise all that money to get to meet Orlando Hudson, rather I rose to the challenge to pay it forward to SARRC for all the potential they helped me realize and to keep all the same staff members who helped me around to help perspective clients. SARRC helped me go...

As an individual living with autism, I have held by job at a local school for almost two years. Here are some tips: 1. Explore job coaching One common accommodation those with disabilities want is a job coach. When I moved into my first apartment at a transition program offered through SARRC, I was paired up with a job coach.  When she announced to me that she wanted to observe me at the school,  I was immediately nervous. The day of the first observation I woke up with bad nerves and my heart was racing out of control.  Having a job coach this year has helped me succeed at both my jobs. My job coach  has helped me learn the appropriate social cues and how to succeed at work. I still get nervous for her to observe me but I look forward to meeting. There are many organizations that provide job coaches.  Best Buddies, SARRC and Vocational Rehabilitation and many other organizations.   2. Accommodations vs modifications  In the class I ...