As an adult learner who has not taken a Harvard online class before this one, I understand the need for constant support with class expectations and technology. As the parent of a student with autism and a student with ADHD, I understand the need for constant support with content and executive functioning skills.
The rise of “corporate social responsibility” campaigns and a movement toward sustainability in the market are closely linked to globalization.
Women are decision making consumers who represent 51% of the world’s population. None of this information was new a decade ago and none of it is new today. And yet this gap in board representation still exists. Why?
Who knew it would take over a year and gobs of money to finally come up with a successful way to mentor someone with autism at work. Why is it so difficult? Why are intelligent, compassionate adults so intimidated by autism?
I’ve always wondered why there aren’t more hair salons that save a day or two to cater solely to customers with autism and other invisible disabilities. Setting up a space that is not visually overwhelming but rather calming, with rocking chairs and bean bags for those waiting, albeit briefly, for their turn.
Sensitivity to families with autism should be an important part of the job description for any health care professional. Unfortunately this is not the case. A report commissioned by the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards (IBCCES) in 2015 highlights this need. “Over 77 percent of primary care physicians, nurses and licensed health care professionals rate their ability to care for someone with autism as poor or fail.”
As a professional and as a parent, I have often been asked how to support teens with autism in all kinds of settings and circumstances. Here are just a few of the things I have suggested to those with little or no “autism experience”…
…it is important, even necessary, to teach students with autism to feel uncomfortable. Who taught me this? The keynote speaker, Jonathan Chase, a professional mentor, presenter and consultant based in Portland, Oregon. http://www.jonathanchase.net. He is an autist who shared a personal story to illustrate this point.
As a parent and professional in the autism community, I wholeheartedly agree that the time is right for an inclusive work environment. Let me give you a personal story to illustrate this point.
The Youth Mentoring Movement is an exciting and necessary one for teens with and without autism. In her 2010 TED talk, “The World needs all kinds of Minds”, https://www.ted.com/talks/temple_grandin_the_world_needs_all_kinds_of_minds, Temple Grandin stresses the importance of mentorship, especially in the school setting.
