The ALEC program, a collaborative effort of the South Norfolk County Arc Family Autism Center and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, provides training to first responders so that they can effectively respond to the needs to children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Training is offered to police officers, fire fighters, EMTs, paramedics and hospital emergency room personnel by presenters who are first responders that possess experience communicating with people with ASD in emergency situations.
View the Website – ALEC: The Autism and Law Enforcement Education Coalition
This booklet is designed to educate children and teens who are unfamiliar with autism about the challenges associated with this developmental disability. The purpose of this guide is to promote friendship and understanding between children with and without autism, and, in turn, reduce incidences of bullying and intimidation. This booklet explains what autism is, common behaviors associated with autism, how to be a friend to individuals with autism, and more.
View the Guide – Friends Like You. Friends Like Me.: Friendship Booklet (PDF)
This guide, provided by the National Research & Training Center on Psychiatric Disability at the University of Illinois at Chicago, offers a definition of self-determination. It also offers a self-assessment designed to help individuals with disabilities determine how much self-determination they have in their life currently. Its overall objective is to encourage people to become more self-determined in all aspects of their lives.
View the Guide – University of Illinois at Chicago: Express Yourself! Assessing Self-Determination in Your Life (PDF)
This guide provides self-determination strategies designed to develop decision-making ability for people with autism and other developmental disabilities. It discusses the components of self-determination and provides steps to help people with autism and other developmental disabilities establish self-determination. It also includes a list of resources and materials pertaining to this topic.
View the Guide – Texas Guide for Effective Teaching Self-Determination Strategies (PDF)
This guide, provided by the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, reviews a three-stage career development process for individual with disabilities. It encourages individuals to find fulfilling work that suits their interests and skills and includes information on how to complete self-assessments about ambitions and skills. It also provides online and in-person resources for finding employment, preparing for an interview and more.
View the Guide – Institute on Community Inclusion – Starting with Me: A Guide to Person-Centered Planning for Job Seekers (PDF)
This document offers 25 field response tips for law enforcement professionals to help them effectively interact with individuals with autism in emergency situations. It also helps first responders understand behaviors that people with autism may have in stressful situations so that they can better respond to and communicate with individuals with autism and their families. This information was produced and compiled by Dennis Debbaudt, a professional law enforcement trainer.
View the Guide – Autism & Law Enforcement: 25 Field Response Tips (PDF)
This fact sheet focuses on the key roles for job coaches who work in supported employment programs. Some critical responsibilities mentioned in this sheet include identifying the individual’s interests and talents, negotiating customized jobs, and addressing employer concerns, identifying a wide variety of workplace supports. This fact sheet also offers strategies that job coaches can use to help individuals they support achieve integrated employment outcomes.
View the Fact Sheet – Virginia Commonwealth University – Supporting Individuals with Significant Disabilities: The Roles of a Job Coach (DOC)
This one-page fact sheet, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, provides basic information about autism spectrum disorders. It provides an explanation of autism and the signs associated with this developmental disability. It also briefly addresses what steps parents can take in diagnosing their child if they believe that their child may have autism. This fact sheet is also available in Spanish.
View the Fact Sheet – CDC: Autism Spectrum Disorders (PDF)
This book is intended to be a career planning aid for young adults on the autism spectrum and their families, teachers, and counselors. The authors provide information and advice based on their own personal employment experiences. This book introduces step-by-step processes young adults can use when searching for a job, as well as discusses how workers with ASD can manage sensory problems in the work place. Other key topics include how to nurture and turn talents and special interests that people may have into paid work positions, and jobs that may be particularly suited to individuals with ASD.
View the Book – Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger’s Syndrome and High-functioning Autism by Temple Grandin and Kate Duffy
This children’s book serves two key purposes: it provides an engaging, fictional story for children and educates parents about the developmental milestones their child should be achieving when they turn three. This book helps parents recognize the signs of normal child development as well as indicators of developmental delays. This book was produced as part of the “Learn the Signs. Act Early” program from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
View the Book – CDC: Amazing Me: It’s Busy Being 3! (PDF)
