"He needs a job coach to help him with on-site social skills, but I have no idea how to land one of those rare birds." I apologize if this is rhetorical, sometimes I can't help myself. Typically people get job coaches assigned to them by either their State's Vocational Rehabilitation Department/Division or by a State HCBS Medicaid Waiver provider (Vocational services). This can happen as early as age 14 (Pre-Employment Transition Services).
Some of the families I've worked with have hired their own (typically much less involved). The wages paid can be used to reduce the earned income. This is helpful when one is concerned about making too much and losing SSI or running up against the Substantial Gainful Activity limit for SSDI.
An awesome article Laura, thanks so much for sharing this. I run the NYC Autism Community Group and love sharing your articles they are so informative and stark. My daughter is soon to be 17 on the spectrum and we hope and pray she will be self-determining. Our group and that of our new non profit is to encourage parents to look more towards holistic, innovative and tech oriented solutions, vs. mainstream drugs and ABA services which don't serve our autistic children. You eloquently speak to another important aspect--wading through the services, paperwork and process. It's insane that the only way you can get the kind of education by law our autistic children are entitled to is by suing the DOE at our expense to get access to services. System. Broken. Health Care paradigm, broken. But we keep on to create a new paradigm. It's an honor to read your articles.
"He needs a job coach to help him with on-site social skills, but I have no idea how to land one of those rare birds." I apologize if this is rhetorical, sometimes I can't help myself. Typically people get job coaches assigned to them by either their State's Vocational Rehabilitation Department/Division or by a State HCBS Medicaid Waiver provider (Vocational services). This can happen as early as age 14 (Pre-Employment Transition Services).
Some of the families I've worked with have hired their own (typically much less involved). The wages paid can be used to reduce the earned income. This is helpful when one is concerned about making too much and losing SSI or running up against the Substantial Gainful Activity limit for SSDI.
Eric
An awesome article Laura, thanks so much for sharing this. I run the NYC Autism Community Group and love sharing your articles they are so informative and stark. My daughter is soon to be 17 on the spectrum and we hope and pray she will be self-determining. Our group and that of our new non profit is to encourage parents to look more towards holistic, innovative and tech oriented solutions, vs. mainstream drugs and ABA services which don't serve our autistic children. You eloquently speak to another important aspect--wading through the services, paperwork and process. It's insane that the only way you can get the kind of education by law our autistic children are entitled to is by suing the DOE at our expense to get access to services. System. Broken. Health Care paradigm, broken. But we keep on to create a new paradigm. It's an honor to read your articles.
Best
Richard Schreiber