Northwest Center of Seattle recently hired Trevor Pacelli, a young adult on the autism spectrum, and one of his duties is to write blog posts for the company. In this post, he has written about his experiences with his past jobs and the varying degrees of inclusion in those workplaces. Northwest Center is a nonprofit company that " . . . was founded in 1965 by parents who refused to institutionalize their children with developmental disabilities or accept the prevailing notion that their children couldn't be taught. Banding together to form Northwest Center, they hired their own teachers to develop education programs targeted to special needs children." (NWCenter.org) Their mission is "to promote the growth, development and independence of people with disabilities through programs of education, rehabilitation, and work opportunity." Trevor is thankful and excited to be working for Northwest Center.
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By Patty Pacelli
Independent living is an important goal for young adults with autism, and studies have shown that it can lead to better employment success. The process can start early in life, and there are several things to help meet this goal while still living at home.
By Trevor Pacelli
Far too frequently I get the idea that because I have slower speech and a lack of understanding towards other people, I can’t be of significant help to them. But this Memorial Day, I was proven wrong about myself.
by Lonnie Pacelli
In the TV show Parenthood, one of the characters, Max Braverman, is a child with Asperger Syndrome. Max displayed many of the classic autism traits, including obsessing over specific topics. One of his strong areas of interest was pirates. Max loved to dress up like a pirate and act out his made-up stories. His TV father, Adam, was struggling to find those connection points with Max that he so desperately longed for, so he decided to dress up like a pirate and enter Max's imaginary pirate world. The episode ends with Adam and Max running around in their pirate garb having a great time together. It was truly touching to see them both having fun as father and son. By Patty Pacelli For children on the autism spectrum, start career planning as soon as your child starts developing interests. The elementary school years are perfect for this, but at least by age 14. Taking note of their interests, especially their passions, can help them pursue and cultivate them. If they talk about dreams that seem unrealistic, encourage them anyway. You never know what they will be capable of as they grow and develop. Take their interests a step further by finding household tasks or volunteer work that will help them explore and develop their passions while learning good basic work skills and lead to independence and better employment. For more about preparing your child with autism for the workplace, check out Six-Word Lessons for Autism-Friendly Workplaces, in paperback and e-book.
By Patty Pacelli
Parents should begin thinking about employment for their children on the autism spectrum when they are very young. Involving them in household chores, volunteer work and other projects will help prepare them for employment later on. Our son Trevor had weekly chores and took care of his own needs as much as possible, and as early as possible. He was choosing his own clothes, making his own breakfast, and getting himself up in the morning with an alarm by about 10 years old. By middle school, he was making his own lunch to take to school as well. He learned to take care of the cat, clean the bathroom and vacuum in elementary school as well. He found comfort in these weekly chores because of his need for routine and schedule-keeping. These tasks can help your child to become a dependable employee later on.
By Trevor Pacelli
I may land on the autism spectrum, I may have delayed speech development, I may be at times discomforting to talk to in person, I may get tired easily from being out a lot, but I still have proven that I’m just as capable as everybody else in working a satisfying career.
By Trevor Pacelli
“Cheer up! Stay positive! Always look on the bright side of life!” Wherever we go, at home, at school, or at work, we are always pressed upon by our peers and media to keep up a grin as a solution to hard times. Anything besides happy, we are expected to think that something is wrong with us. If we get angry, we get called aggressive. If we are disgusted, we get called judgmental. If we are fearful, we get called cowardly. If we are sad, we get called negative. Three authors in one family have combined some of their most popular books about autism and leadership into one book that can help anyone understand, lead and grow people with autism at work, home and life. This bundle, written by a family affected by autism, includes books and articles by Lonnie Pacelli, noted leadership consultant and father of a young adult with autism, as well as Patty Pacelli, autism advocate and mother of a young adult with autism, and Trevor Pacelli, their son, who was diagnosed at age 5 and has written two books about his experiences growing up autistic. The book is available in paperback and ebook on Amazon.
By Lonnie Pacelli
The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) Special intelligence Unit 9900 is dedicated to everything related to geography, including mapping, interpretation of aerial and satellite photographs and space research. Within this unit there is a small unit of highly qualified soldiers, who have remarkable visual and analytic capabilities. They can detect even the smallest details, undetectable to most people. These soldiers all have one thing in common; they are on the autism spectrum. Their job is to take visual materials from satellite images and sensors in the air. With the help of officers and decoding tools, they analyze the images and find specific things necessary to provide the best data to those planning missions. The IDF has found that soldiers with autism can focus for longer periods of time than their neurotypical (non-autistic) counterparts (source: IDF Blog). |
Inspiration for Life with AutismThis blog has a variety of articles about people living life with autism, and topics and ideas that can help in the journey. Guest bloggers are welcome. Inspired by Trevor, a young adult film critic, photographer and college graduate on the autism spectrum. Categories
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