Trailblazers - Autism After the School Bus
Because parents like me of young autistic adults like Ben have been on the frontier of autism for decades and we will continue to pioneer and blaze trails for the tsunami of kids who will be aging out of the established support systems. I intend to use my program to raise questions like, “How can I know that my adult child will be safe after leaving home? What are the various models for group homes and residential communities? What about vocational options? What about special diets and medical care? Speech therapy? Vocational choices? Exercise? What about romance and sexuality? Will my adult child experience acceptance and understanding? How can I best stay involved in my child’s life? Who will advocate for my child after I am gone?"
Dan E. Burns, Ph.D., is author of the award-winning book Saving Ben: A Father's Story of Autism, available from University of North Texas Press and on Amazon.com.
My book Saving Ben: A Father's Story of Autism reached Amazon Sales Rank #1 Special Needs category in September of 2009. Since Saving Ben was published, Ben has graduated high school – “aged out” of the system. What happens after the school bus stops coming? Ben and I are discovering the answers, surfing the leading edge of a wave that threatens to overwhelm our social services. I am an advocate for young adults with autism, passionate about building hope for their future.
Program Archive
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Mon, 02/07/2011 - 1:00pm
Rupert Isaacson is author of The Horse Boy, an autobiographical book that follows a father's quest for healing of his son with autism as the family travels from their home in Texas to seek help via horseback from shamans on Mongolia. In the interview, Rupert and I discuss his son's progress, other boundaries the author has crossed, boundaries that remain to be crossed, and how the autism quest can be the adventure of a lifetime and even a gateway to one's dreams.
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Tue, 12/07/2010 - 1:00pm
Today we talk with Anna Hundley, Executive Director of the Autism Treatment Centers of Texas, a position she has held for the past 31 years. Anna is President of the National Association of Residential Providers for Adults with Autism, and she serves as the vice chair of the Texas Autism Council on Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorders. Our topic is, As a parent of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), what should I do to prepare for my child becoming an adult?
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Sat, 12/04/2010 - 3:00pm
Today we talk with Dr. David Holmes about the challenges facing families of children with autism after the school bus stops coming.
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Sun, 11/07/2010 - 1:00pm
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Tue, 09/07/2010 - 1:00pm
