By Aiyeesha Hill
The other day I received an email from my son’s teacher about a school trip to a career and college fair at another high school. My son just turned 18; he is Hispanic and has high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. The morning of the trip, he dressed in a shirt and tie and was ready to see opportunities for him. When I asked him if he had applied to any jobs, he said, “no.” When I asked if anyone was there to assist him, he said, “no,” I realized it was a pointless trip for my son. No one guided or helped him, and no one took the time to see if he may have had difficulty completing an application. In addition, no one talked to him about college opportunities. His teacher sends emails with attachments about programs like vocational rehabilitation or college transition programs. I have yet to see high schools offer information sessions about how to transition their special needs child once they leave the k-12 system.
Black Indigenous people of color (BIPOC) families with children with high-functioning autism in low socioeconomic communities lack the knowledge necessary to make the vital decisions for their HF ASD child transitioning out of high school. Nor do they know how to obtain a comprehensive transition plan to guide them and their child on this new endeavor. Although access to college has improved for students with autism, they are less likely to transition successfully, which is essential to academic success.
The reality is that many face an uncertain future after high school. They remain unemployed or do not enroll in college (CDC, Autism spectrum disorder in teenagers & adults 2022). Furthermore, “youth who are neither working nor enrolled in postsecondary education in the three years following high school graduation have increased risk for poorer long-term outcomes, such as poverty, mental health problems, and unemployment” (Eilenberg et al., 2019). This issue upsets me because these individuals are inevitably doomed to poverty and hardship. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Both high schools and postsecondary educators must collaborate to find a solution to improve awareness of college readiness programs for this marginalized group of individuals. They need to provide a pipeline of information on college readiness programs to our BIPOC low socioeconomic communities. These communities need more information on college readiness programs for their HF ASD young adults. High schools should provide information sessions for their parents while the student is in their junior or senior years. Getting emails is not good enough! I want educators to talk with the parents and explain the options as their child is about to transition into adulthood. They must do better. PERIOD!!!
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, April 6). Autism spectrum disorder in teenagers & adults. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/autism-spectrum-disorder-in-teenagers-adults.html
Eilenberg, J. S., Paff, M., Harrison, A. J., & Long, K. A. (2019). Disparities based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status over the transition to adulthood among adolescents and young adults on the autism spectrum: A systematic review. Current Psychiatry Reports, 21(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-019-1016-1
Your story brought tears to my eyes Aiyeesha. We want so much for our children and it’s so hard when they struggle with advocating for themselves. Thank you for sharing!
Aiyeesha, this story broke my heart and, at the same time, made me feel disappointed in how our education system can let our students (and our children) down. This also made me reflect on something I have heard repeatedly. If we keep doing the same things we’ve always done, we will keep getting the same results. There needs to be a transition plan for what comes next after graduation. With all kinds of options available post-graduation for vocational training, college, and career, the idea that there is no plan makes me angry. This emphasizes the strong need for family engagement to be partners in the education process and advocate for our child with the expectation that the school needs to be just as involved.
As a special educator in the field, this story broke my heart. I agree that there needs to be better training and preparation for those entering the transition phase- I look forward to watching you change the transition field of SPED!