The Universities at Shady Grove (USG) and the Madison House Autism Foundation hosted a panel discussion on Tuesday, October 7th on “Living with Autism: Transitioning to Adulthood.” This was the next installment of USG’s ongoing Civic Engagement Series. The program was presented and moderated by students from UMBC’s Social Work Student Association at USG and the Towson University Council of Exceptional Children at USG.
The event began with a keynote presentation by Tom Liniak, a father of a child with autism, Director of Specialized Employment at The Jewish Social Service Agency (JSSA), and co-founder of Sports Plus. Sports Plus is an award-winning non-profit organization that provides athletic and employment programs for children and young adults with autism. In the next six years over 500,000 children with autism will become adults. The unemployment rate for adults with autism is 85%. Tom discussed why it is important to prepare autistic children transiting into adulthood how to assimilate into the workforce. Tom saw through his own son how difficult that process can be and that is how Sports Plus was born. Tom described Sports Plus as a place that “does not limit or label, there is no can’t or won’t, everyone belongs, everyone achieves.” He emphasized how important it is to teach children with autism how to engage in social situations and how to communicate their brilliance into something of value. Through Sports Plus autistic children are able to form friendships, learn social interaction skills, and not only thrive in sports, but also employment opportunities.
An expert guest panel also discussed the transition of children with autism into adulthood. Panelists included:
- Dr. Laila Richmond - Assistant Professor and Early Childhood Special Education Program Coordinator at Towson University
- Mimi Silverman – Parent Coordinator & Trainer of an autistic group
- Karen Onley - Special Education Teacher at Walter Johnson High School
- Kathleen Crowley - Licensed Social Worker at John Hopkins in Bethesda
- Jenny Foster - Transition Support Teacher at Magruder High School, Family Trainer and Adult Life Planner consultant for students with Autism
- Dr. Heidi Graff – Assistant Professor of Special Education at George Mason University, Director of the Learning into Future Environments (LIFE)
The panelists outlined three main goals in order to achieve a successful transition of autistic children into adulthood. The first is Independent Living, whether they live with roommates or alone. The second is Community Engagement, having a recreational hobby and social interaction. The last and most important is Meaningful Employment, having adults with autism find employment and a successful career path. One panelist commented, “The air in this room is filled with hope. We are creating a pathway to the future filled with possibilities for individuals with autism.”
The building of the bridge to transition autistic children into adulthood is underway. It will take time, energy and resources to finish the bridge, but when that bridge is completed it will lead to a very bright future for those with autism. To help individuals with autism please donate to the Madison House Autism Foundation at www.madisonhouseautism.org.
Click here to read a featured article about the event on mymcmedia.