Adult Autism Awareness Day – April 18, 2009

The first annual Adult Autism Awareness Day was held on a beautiful spring morning, April 18th, 2009, at the University of Pittsburgh. The purpose of the event was to create awareness of our adult autism community, demonstrate the importance of transition planning, promote inclusiveness through education, and improve social and employment outcomes for adults with autism.

The morning consisted of three panels, each with a number of panelists who shared:

• Their successful experiences as they pertained to adults with ASD
• Information about the objectives and accomplishments of their programs
• Ideas regarding the challenges and solutions they’ve observed

(For more information about the panel members, check out the Adult Autism Awareness Day brochure.) Each panel member spoke for several minutes before taking questions from the audience, which was a nice mix of professionals (psychologists, educators, etc.), adults with autism, and family members.

Post-Secondary Employment Panel

The post-secondary employment panel began with an overview of the services provided by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) by Lori Kaczmarek, the autism coordinator for the Pittsburgh District Office. From the Transition to Adulthood Program at St. Michael’s Harbour, program director Christina Long and vocational rehabilitation specialist Shawn Blakeny described their program, and John Dutcher, an adult with autism, gave his input from a client’s perspective. Laura McCool, the Human Resources Professional for Walgreens, talked about Walgreens’ commitment to recruit, hire, and train individuals with disabilities, and the overall positive effect this has had on the company. Jeff Hudale, an adult with Autism, told his story of successes and setbacks in finding a job.

Post-Secondary Education Panel

The post-secondary employment panel was kicked off by Don Angelone, former OVR employee and current senior lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. Mr. Angelone posed the question, “why can’t Pitt or CMU be the school to support and cultivate the talents of the next Einstein or Bill Gates?” Three panelists spoke about their experiences as members of Offices of Disability Resources – Larry Powell from Carnegie Mellon University, Leigh Culley from the University of Pittsburgh, and Larry Doperak from the Community College of Allegheny County. Michael Greisler discussed ACCLAIM (Autism College and Community Life Acclimation and Intervention Model), a community-based program designed to facilitate college readiness in adults with ASD. Dan Hackett, an adult on the autism spectrum, spoke about his experiences attending the Community College of Allegheny County with support from AHEADD.

Research and Legislation Panel

Beginning the discussion on research, Ryan Cramer, the clinical coordinator of the Autism Treatment Network and the ASERT (Autism Service, Education, Research, and Training Western Pennsylvania Regional Autism Center, discussed the many research projects that are currently being initiated. Jamie Schutte, a PhD student, followed by discussing her specific role in the ASERT project – developing a bio-behavioral certificate in autism spectrum disorders. She also overviewed her other research projects including a literature review of rehabilitation and vocational counseling for adults with Asperger’s syndrome, and measuring the efficacy of social skills groups and college readiness programs.

To discuss legislation, Laura Lutton from the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare Bureau of Autism Services discussed autism services information and the adult autism waiver. Finally, Congressman Mike Doyle, from the 14th District of Pennsylvania, talked about his role as the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Autism Caucus, also known as the Coalition for Autism Research and Education (C.A.R.E.) – the first-ever Congressional Membership Organization dedicated to autism advocacy on Capitol Hill.

A Special Declaration

In what can only be described as a moment of hope and celebration, City of Pittsburgh Councilman, Bill Peduto, declared April 18th the official Adult Autism Awareness day for the city of Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh City Council Proclamation

A Special Day

The feeling of celebration continued throughout the day. While a light lunch was served, the audience and panelists had an opportunity to interact, network, and address questions that weren’t able to be discussed during the panel presentations. When it was time to go, attendees left feeling more connected to the adult autism community, more aware of the importance of transition planning, and with a drive to continue to promote inclusiveness and improve social and employment outcomes for adults with ASD.

John Dutcher, an adult with autism, post-secondary employment panelist, and Star Wars fan, summed up the day with hope and good humor in an impromptu speech as he said, “We have to persevere… Live long and prosper!”