A recent article in the Columbus Dispatch presents the  dilemma well. In her article, Rita Price depicts a young woman, an honors graduate of a university and a computer and math whiz. She looked great on paper, but couldn’t pass a job interview.  The only job the young woman was finally offered was on the help desk – a job  requiring telephone and social skill. She took the job but quit because she was “phone-phobic”.

We, as a society, are spending a lot of time, energy, and money treating children with autism, but are ignoring the needs of older teens and adults on the spectrum. It’s wonderful that children on the spectrum are being included, getting occupational and speech therapy, special education for their learning differences, but a shame that they can’t get a job when they become adults. Many people on the spectrum perform very well in school and get very good grades, but can’t seem to bridge that success into the working world. According to the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence, national studies are showing the only 6 to 14 percent of adult with autism are competitively employed. Although I question whether this statistic takes in the high-functioning folks with Asperger’s Syndrome, some of whom are successfully employed in the computer (and other) industry, still it does speak to the high rate of unemployment among those on the spectrum.

It’s so unfortunate that the interview remains to be the test that everyone has to pass to get a job offer, regardless of the type of job for which they are applying. The traditional job-hunting method of sending the resume in to Human Resources, waiting for a call, passing a phone-screen, then an interview so often doesn’t work for people on the spectrum.  However, there are some methods that Aspies can use to increase their chances of getting hired. One is use the “back door” rather than the Human Resources door. In other words, use all your resources in your field to get recommendations, find out about job openings, and be invited in for an interview.  Temple Grandin, a well-known successful autistic woman, in her book titled, Developing Talents, espouses this technique and used it herself before landing her job in livestock equipment design. Another technique is to build your credibility and sell yourself prior to getting called for job interviews, so that the interview becomes just a formality. Ways to do this are via social/professional networking sites such as Linked In, writing a book, taking speaking engagements, offer ing a service or newsletter using a website, or taking a board position in a professional organization. Another method to consider is designing an on-line portfolio, which could be published on a social networking site and/or brought to the interview to put the focus more on the device showing the portfolio, and less on the one-to-one contact of interviewer to interviewee.

Alternative means of earning an income should not be overlooked. We are moving into an age of less security as provided by corporate employment, and increasing free-lancing and other forms of self-employment. For some Aspies, self-employment may be a much more viable way to make a living. Some will need ongoing support from family members or others, but the creativity, flexibility, (sometimes) less demand on social skills of self-employment could be the answer. For example, an Aspie who has great artistic talent may be the one designing and rendering drawings for cards, while another person handles the marketing and delivery. The Internet provides a wonderful tool for selling products that doesn’t require doing it in person, a task many Aspies would find abhorrent.

We need to find ways to stop overlooking the wonderful skills and talents that people on the spectrum so often have. How can we afford to let those talents go to waste? I would love to hear your ideas on this topic!

Today, I’d like to write about the special connection that there often seems to be between people on the autism spectrum and animals. Most people like animals, but I’ve noticed that those on the spectrum seem to have a very deep connection with them.  My clients have said things like, “I relate to animals more than people”, “I think in pictures like they do”, “Losing my dog was the saddest day of my life”, “My dog was the only one in my family I could relate to”, “My kitty is my best friend”.

Equine therapy has long been used in the treatment of children with disabilities, including autistics. In my last blog, I spoke about the movie, Horse Boy, which is about a four-year-old boy with autism who greatly improves with horse and shamanic therapy. My friend and colleague, Ginger Kennell, works with horses in Bellingham, WA, in her treatment of children on the autism spectrum. She has written a beautiful  piece on her blog/website (Horses and Autism Article). It seems that some people on the spectrum can communicate with horses in ways that we NT’s can’t. Perhaps it is via mental telepathy, as some report that they see in their minds’ eye the pictures that animals are thinking.

Recently, I have been learning about dolphins and their amazing abilities. First, I was told a beautiful story of a 13-year-old boy on the spectrum who was encouraged to swim with dolphins. So, he finally tried it, and was welcomed by the dolphins like the staff at the marine park had not seen before. The dolphins took turns swimming with him lovingly, taking him one by one underwater to swim, and “told” him things about what is happening to our oceans. What he learned from the dolphins was corroborated by an oceanographer, who stated that this boy could not have known what he knew via conventional methods. Talking about this story with a man I know on the spectrum led to his sending me a link to an article about dolphins that really blew me away. The article entitled, dolphins, Therapy and Autism, by Michael T. Hyson, Ph.D.  can be found at

www.planetpuna.com/dolphin-paper-html/dolphin-paper.htm

The article sites research which shows that dolphins are highly intelligent animals, with large brains that are comparable to humans’  in complexity and processing abilities. The writers conclusion is that dolphins (and whales) are more intelligent than we are. Dolphin-assisted therapy is being used to treat children with autism (and other conditions) with very positive results. The article list about 30 dolphin-assisted therapy programs around the world, many of which are in Florida, The Bahamas, and Australia.

So, what is this link between animals and autistics?  Dr. Hyson, in his article about dolphins says, “The Cetacea (whales and dolphins) are increasingly coming to contact us.” And, the numbers of autistics is definitely on the rise. Could there be a relationship? Could there be special purposes for autistics at this time in the history of the planet? Certainly, their ability to communicate with animals is demonstrated again and again. Could autistics be the ones to “hear” the messages that animals such as dolphins are bringing to us? We are surely at a very exciting (if not frightening) time in our planet’s evolution; perhaps the rise in autism has something to do with it?

I would love to hear your thoughts on this intriguing subject. If you’re on the spectrum, what are your experiences with animals?  Do others have stories about animals and autism? Have others heard stories about animals and autistics? Or stories about the amazing intelligence and abilities of dolphins and whales?

The prevalence of autism-related disorders is rising rapidly, a fact which is becoming well-known.  In my 7+ years of working in this field, the general population is becoming much more familiar with the term. Ask any teacher, and they will most likely say they have at least a few children on the spectrum in their classroom. So, we can continue to view this as an anomoly, a disorder, or perhaps we may want to look at it as a significant change in the make-up of the population of humans on our planet. While there are some “issues” that those with ASD sometimes have, such as sensory processing difficulties, social skills deficits, and attention deficit/hyperactivity, even these things can begin to be seen in a different light. Perhaps the “different” neurology of those on the spectrum is just the flip side of their special gifts. For example, could a computer programmer who is an Aspie do such a magnificent job of creating programs without the gift of hyperfocus? Could an autistic musical savant be the creative genius she is without being someone who isn’t conventional?

When I think of all the amazing talents I have been exposed to in working with people on the spectrum, it embarrasses me to think that we “neurotypicals” have all the answers. Mathematical, computer, musical and artistic geniuses are in my office every day. The world needs their special gifts! The travesty of squelching a child, giving him messages that he’s “different”, “bad”, a “misfit” often have the disastrous effect of, by the time he is a young adult, convincing him that he is worthless. Many young adults on the spectrum come into my office depressed, feeling hopeless about their future, and hating themselves. And why? Because they aren’t quite like most people. Of course they’re not! They are geniuses, savants, special gifts to the world!

Another major problem those on the spectrum often face in adulthood is fitting into our current economic structure to make a living. For every successful computer programmer, there is an Aspie (perhaps many) who have not been able to get hired or keep a job consistently. Here they are, brilliant and possessing special talents, and having to depend on SSI for income (if they can get it). Not only is living at that economic level very challenging in obvious ways, the consistent message that they are “failures” is depressing and often prevents expression of their gifts.

One of the major stumbling blocks to getting hired is our rigid system of hiring. No matter what the job is, the “test” is an oral interview. Most Aspies are not good at reading non-verbal signals, making small talk, knowing when to stop talking, etc., thus the diagnosis. So, put them in an interview situation and they’re not going to make a great impression. Why do we make computer programmers pass an oral interview? Why don’t we just set them down with a computer and ask them to show us their stuff?

We need to open our minds, our hearts, to a different way of  doing things. The conventional, pass-the-interview-work-for-the-corporation paradigm doesn’t work for many Aspies. Even our standard measure of success, which is buy-a-house-live-in-the-suburbs-raise-a-family isn’t one that works for everyone. Are there other lifestyles that can work and provide happy lives for folks that don’t fit the mold, but deserve a happy life as much as anyone? I believe there are, and that we need to facilitate creating them.

I recently learned about a place in New Mexico, a farm for autistic  women to live and work. It’s called Mandy’s Special Farm (www.mandysfarm.org), and is home to four adult autistic women who work on the farm and sell their various products. While only four women live there at a time, it appears to be a wonderful, workable concept which provides a happy, creative, safe environment and productive life for the women who live there. Living by and with animals is ideal for many autistics, who have a special bond with animals. Perhaps our new society will have a lot of places like Mandy’s Farm, and other viable lifestyle opportunities so that Aspies can thrive and contribute their talents.

As always, I welcome your comments. Let’s get a good, positive discussion and brainstorming going!

Let me tell you just a little about myself, and why I decided to start a blog. I am a mental health counselor in private practice in Redmond, WA, USA, who specializes in autism spectrum disorders. While I have a general practice and often see folks who are not on the “spectrum”, I found that from the first day I started working with the autism spectrum population, I knew it was definitely for me.

Blogging seemed like a wonderful way to share my thoughts about ASD (autism spectrum disorders). Having been privileged to work with folks on the spectrum for 7+ years, I have a lot of observations, ideas, conclusions, and questions roaming around in my brain. I should note that my experience is with clients who are 12+, many of them being adults, with most of them having Asperger’s Syndrome.

The first, and one of my main thoughts, is that autism in NOT A CHILDHOOD DISORDER! It seems that most people, when one mentions “autism”, respond with, “oh, yes, that’s in kids, right?” or something similar. Well, sure autism begins in kids – it’s a developmental disorder. But those kids do grow up, and they still have autism! A tragedy occurring in our society (I am mostly familiar with American society; would love to hear from residents of other countries on this topic) is that our children on the spectrum are getting pretty good attention and supports. However, once they graduate high school, that ceases by and large. I have seen many, many cases in my practice where the graduate becomes very stuck and depressed because he/she doesn’t know what to do next. One of the features of autism is a deficit in self-initiation, yet they are expected to suddenly become self-initiating and goal-oriented after high school. Parents often become very frustrated and put a lot of pressure on their kid to go out and get a job, study for a career, etc. This, in turn, creates a terrible amount of stress on the “Aspie”, who may have done well in school, but can’t succeed without a lot of structure and support.

Another main point I want to get across is the positive aspects of ASD. So many of the messages parents hear when their child is diagnosed is negative: “disorder”, “treatment”, “disability” that they and the child may lose sight of the strengths and special gifts people on the spectrum have. This will be a theme in my writings, and I will share some of what I’ve learned from my clients about their special gifts.

I saw a beautiful movie I’d like to share with you. Although it’s not about teens or adults, I’m mentioning it because the message is very positive. It’s called, “The Horse Boy”, a documentary produced by Zeitgeist Films and directed by Michel O. Scott. It’s about a young boy who has been diagnosed with autism, and his parents. They take their child to Mongolia to work with horses, reindeer herders and a powerful shaman to help with his frequent tantrums and refusal to potty-train. It was a powerful reminder for me of the very special connection that people on the spectrum often have with animals, and the power of having parents who can accept their child’s autism with open hearts.

I welcome responses to this post; hopefully we can get a dynamic, positive message out there together!