Autism Advocacy: The Teenage Years

The specific impact of being on the Autism Spectrum can vary from family to family. But wherever you and your family find yourself, both on the spectrum as well as your phase of life, you can find resources and tools in one of our four unique sessions designed to help navigate the ins and outs of the challenges and impact of Autism in your life. Each session focuses on helpful tools for the stage of life you are in: early childhood and diagnosis, navigating resources for your school-aged child, the teenage years, and adulthood and workplace challenges.

This presentation will address autism advocacy issues. Parents and professionals play an important role in the life of a young child regardless of the disability. As children grow, they question their abilities and challenges. It is our responsibility, parents and professionals, to teach the necessary skills to young adults as they engage in the transition process. Self-advocacy can be useful in many different ways, and in many different situations. It is important to draw on self-advocacy skills whenever it is important for the individual’s voice to be heard – this includes situations in which medical/care plans are being reviewed or put in place, during assessments, or whenever an individual feels that he or she is being treated unfairly. Self-advocacy is an essential skill for all individuals, but in particular those who are on the Autism Spectrum.