adults with autism – sherylscript

Accidents Happen

A few weeks ago, Ryan was in a car accident. Our beloved, golden Echo was a great little car, but it was no match to a truck. No one was hurt, but the car was totaled.

Ryan has had his driving license for almost three years with no ticket or accident. Some people expressed concerned about a young, autistic adult driving. According to Safety Insurance Company’s website, “Nationwide, 43% of first-year drivers and 37% of second-year drivers are involved in car crashes.” Ryan beat those statistics. Even after the accident, I’m glad we encouraged Ryan to learn how to drive.

Of course, Ryan was shaken and now has a new respect regarding his vulnerability and driving. It’s scary out on the road, from his perspective and mine. He has learned many life-lessons. Sometimes, experience is the best teacher.

Shadowing Nick: New Routines

I watch Nick as he learns to maneuver the campus.

Nick has started his second semester at the local community college. He’s taking classes on two different campuses. He is somewhat nervous. His schedule has changed, so he needs to establish new habits and routines.

We start with an introduction and rehearsal. Nick has a print out of a map. We visit each campus, pointing out landmarks. We find his classrooms and write down what days and times he will be in that classroom. We then find the closest bathrooms and drinking fountain.

A few days later, we visit the campus again, but he leads. He finds the location. I shadow him. If he gets lost, I follow. If he gets discouraged, he calls me. I try to point out landmarks if necessary until he can find the classroom.

We may do this exercise a few times. Once he is comfortable, I then drop him off and find a place to sit on campus. He maneuvers his way independently. I am still close if he needs me, but I am not following.

Eventually, he will be able to follow the new schedule on his own. He learns it much quicker than he did in high school. However, Nick still experiences anxiety and stress. Ironically, no matter where his classes are, he learns where the local coffee joint is. He can chill with coffee anytime!

Ryan’s Done With Training; Now A Professional

Ryan has finished lots this last school year. He has finished Part I of his coffee internship. He has also finished three years of training at RMG Imaging Artists. He has grown so much as a result of these programs.

Ryan has professional skills that can now help him lead an independent life. He has products for sale, and that number of products will increase as the year continues. Here’s a link to his online market: http://www.shop.rmgia.com/sellers/ryan-johnson/products/

The coffee internship has helped Ryan develop customer service. Now he is much more confident greeting and talking with people. Ryan is now working on the second part of the internship: interview skills.

All these steps are literally that: steps on the road of Ryan’s life!

Ryan’s Reveling in Coffee

Ryan and Aaron

Today is Ryan’s third day on the job at Beneficial Beans. He is greeting customers, filling orders, handling moneys, receiving instruction, and he is happy.

His coach, Aaron, works side-by-side Ryan, teaching him the ins and outs of the coffee beverage process. Aaron has an easy-going spirit as he instructs Ryan. Yet, Aaron still maintains the integrity and standards of the business. What a great combination for a working environment, especially for autistic adults: structure within a relaxed setting.

Ryan’s New Place

The realtor told us that there was a waiting list. She encouraged Ryan to apply because she never knew when there would be an opening. She could not tell us, an average, what the wait might be. She encouraged Ryan to submit an application if he wanted to move sooner vs later.

When Ryan submitted his application a month later for an apartment, he was informed that there would be an opening at the beginning of the next month. That was a lot sooner than we anticipated. Ryan, his dad, and I agreed that Ryan would probably be more successful on his own if we had another year to refine several life skills. A month to move out pushed our “schedule” up by 11 months. However, Ryan agreed to take the apartment enthusiastically.

The month passed quickly. We planned and focused. What would Ryan need immediately? What could wait? What could he borrorw? Could friends and family donate items?

Within the month Ryan asked if he could take an item, or he pointed out that we don’t use that thing. He slowly accumulated a few tools and pieces of furniture.

His moving day quickly arrived!

His idea of packing was very different than mine, but then again, he had never moved. I showed him how to pack breakables, and the rest went as he saw fit. We rented a truck, and the move was done with the help of his parents and brothers.

Since he didn’t have much, it didn’t take long to move and set up. When all was done, he transformed a “tin can” into a home. I was impressed. His living room had more functional furniture than I did after a few yeas of being on my own. His furniture actually looked nice as well. Not too bad for a bunch of hand-me-downs.

Ryan enjoyed it all because this was HIS place.

Highlighting Nature

Being a mother of autistic kids, I often wonder how they relate to their world. I never know how they see the world; what pops into their minds when they hear, see, or feel something. Nature, for instance, provides a myriad of opportunities for the senses to experience the world.

One of my favorite places on earth is the beach. All the senses embrace input. I love it. I am not sure if my boys appreciate the same gratitude of the beach’s natural beauty. When I ask them, they can’t really put into words what they do or don’t experience.

Through this photo shop class, Ryan is conveying what he sees. Quite an eye-opener.

Literally!

A couple of weeks ago Mike took the boys to Yosemite. The camera busily recorded all the beautiful sites and tiring hikes the guys endeavored. Ryan took some of the photos to his class, and he “enhanced” them. For once, I get to see inside Ryan’s thoughts. He’s highlighting what he sees. He’s using colors that I wouldn’t necessarily relate to the scene; nonetheless, his interpretation of nature yields spectacular, striking images.

I can’t wait to see the next set of photos!!

Ryan’s Photos at RMG Imaging Artists

Ryan has thrived since he started the photo shop classes. He has matured greatly as his confidence grows. He talks more. That alone is a WIN!!

The owners have told me that they were not so certain at first that Ryan would have the longevity for the course. However, they watched and monitored his progress. They were pleasantly surprised!

Ryan learns quickly. He advocates for himself, asking questions when he needs help. He monitors himself; he knows when to work and when to talk. He’s very comfortable in his environment. He’s free to play his music quietly, and he gets along with others when they are present. Best yet, the owners say that Ryan is a natural. No one has every said that Ryan is a natural at anything. No wonder he likes to share his work!

Ryan, who usually chooses not to talk–typical of autism, has taken the initiative to invite his grandparents into the building to see his work. That shocked my dad. His astonishment continued as Ryan continually talked and described his photos and images.

The photos here of a lamp were done after four lessons, as were the Yoda pictures shown on a previous blog entry. These pictures are of the same object. These images invoke very different moods.

I’m glad Ryan was willing, albeit with our insistence, to try this class. He has gained much more than just knowledge. He is gaining a sense of himself, a sense of pride in his work and accomplishments.

RMG Imaging Artists

For the last five months, Ryan has attended photo shop classes at RMG Imaging Artists. Here’s a link to a video that best illustrates what Ryan is learning:

http://youtu.be/pQN6Wklx8Ok

RMG Imaging Artists is a family run business whose focus is to employ adults on the autism spectrum. They SEEK OUT adults with autism!! I met them at a local meeting for young adults with autism. The owners of RMG Imaging Artists delivered a lively, detailed business plan of their venture and vision.

I was quite impressed by their enthusiasm. The selling point for me was that they were completely invested in the success of this business as this was a family business. They also understood the complexity of autism. They were familiar with the communication and sensory issues, and they welcomed that. Best of all, they comprehended the “symptoms” of autism could be channeled into a positive outcome.

From their website:

Photographic image editing relies on intelligence, skill, and determination, yet does not require a large amount of communication. This makes it an ideal profession for many on the autism spectrum.

Skills required of an image editor:

Attention to detail
Ability to focus for long periods
Self-discipline
Perfectionism
Stickler for following tasks through in order
Enjoyment of working on a computer
Enjoyment of artistic expression

A Picture Is Worth A 1000 Words

Ryan’s showing the different colors of Yoda! Ryan is creating these images through his photo shop class–a class we hope will lead to a trade.

Ryan took three college computer classes last semester. He did well, earning As. However, he decided that college is not for him. Listening to lectures, taking tests, and finishing homework tremendously burdens Ryan. Mike and I responded, “Ok, but you need to be working towards a job.” We have stressed to Ryan that government support is not an option. What the government can give, the government can take away. He must develop his own means to support himself. We hope that he’ll find a talent or skill that he loves and build a career from it.

Ryan agreed because he wants to be independent, but he didn’t really have a plan of what to pursue. Ryan has been in vocational/rehabilitation for two years, and that, so far, has produced nothing. In fact, it has been a very frustrating process, but that is another story.

In my research I found a company that wanted to hire young adults on the autism spectrum. The company’s name is RMG Imaging Artists. http://www.rmgia.com/ What a blessing! The training is in photo shop. At first Ryan was not so willing to participate, but he quietly attended.

Over the last few months he found that he enjoys this class. Ryan has liked taking art classes in the past. These classes are no exception. Whether Ryan realizes it or not, he is very creative, which is not thought to be very typical of autism. These classes demand focus and perfection while being creative. It’s a perfect mix for Ryan.

I’ll focus more on the company in my next blog entry.

Autism and Signing Documents

Paperwork!! Nobody likes paperwork, but it is one of those necessities of life. Especially for kids with autism. Adults with autism too.

Yesterday, Ryan signed his first set of legal documents. He signed powers of attorney. One was 13 pages long! The others were only a few pages. He diligently read each section that he was asked to initial. He took his time. At the end of each document he signed his name. Carefully. In cursive. We rehearsed that.

For several weeks Mike and I have been talking with Ryan about growing up and taking responsibility. That is something that Ryan isn’t really keen on. He definitely wants freedom and independence, but he’s not really keen on the responsibility that comes with the territory of adulthood.

That can spell disaster for a typical 18 year old, but for an adult with autism who might be easily swayed, this is not something to take lightly. Any wrong decision could be life altering for him. And us.

I researched the different avenues we could pursue, as parents, for Ryan. We want to protect him, while continuing to teach him about his choices in life. We want him to continue to become independent from us, while minimizing risks. It’s really an oxymoron in logic.

I attended a few seminars about guardianship and “transitioning into adulthood”. I learned about the various types of guardianship that would require going to court to prove to a judge that Ryan is incompetent, completely or partially. That would remove all or some rights for Ryan, like driving, voting, etc. I also learned about power of attorney that doesn’t restrict Ryan’s rights at all. He authorizes us (or whomever he chooses) to make decisions or help him make decisions. He retains his ability to make his choices independently, as well.

My gut reaction was the option of the power of attorney. Mike agreed. We explained the power of attorney concept to Ryan, and he liked that idea! I found a special needs estate planner to draw up the documents. Although I could have used any attorney, I want someone who specializes in this field. It took a couple of weeks, and yesterday, Ryan signed those documents.

His first signing as an adult.