When Stephen Shore was a child, doctors recommended he be institutionalized. Nonverbal until age 4, he was diagnosed with strong autistic tendencies and too sick for outpatient treatment.
When I was diagnosed as on the autism spectrum, my parents were strongly urged to send me to an institution, said Shore, now an assistant professor of special education at Adelphi University. Fortunately, my parents didnt. Today, the recommendation would focus on early-intervention programs and strategies.
Shore, who has Asperger syndrome, will be the featured speaker at the Autism Summit at 10 a.m. Saturday at Easter Seals Capper Foundation, 3500 S.W. 10th Ave.
There is no cost to attend the summit, which is sponsored by the Capper Foundation and the Topeka Autism Support Group, but reservations are encouraged and can be made by calling (785) 272-4060.
Shore, the author of four books and a DVD on autism, will talk about some of the obstacles he has overcome and social situations he has navigated, as well as provide advice to parents of children with autism.
I will be emphasizing how we can promote success for individuals on the autism spectrum, with a focus on the differences between when I was growing up on the autism spectrum and todays current knowledge and research, he said.
Shore, who was in Russia earlier this week, answered questions via email:
Q. What sort of opportunities or programs need to be established to help students with autism transition into the adult phase of their lives, particularly in the areas of education and employment?
A. As soon as one knows a person is on the autism spectrum is when consideration of how transitions to employment, continuing education, living situation, etc., should start. Then by the time the child reaches traditional transition age at 14 or 16 is when plans should be finalized.
As for continuing education, we are beginning to see more and more programs for college-age students on the autism spectrum, such as the Bridges to Adelphi program at my university (which helps students with nonverbal learning disabilities with organizational skills, time management, and independent living and social skills). As for employment, the focus should be on matching often-considerable-strengths people with autism to job opportunities.
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Autism expert to speak Saturday at Capper Foundation