Person Centered Planning for Teens with Significant Support Needs
Having featured a topic on autism in the gifted last week, I felt it only appropriate to share as this week’s topic the need to take into account the strengths, interests, and very carefully defined needs of those who struggle with some of the more disabling features of autism. In this week’s @USAutism’s Featured Video Dr. Robin Brewer, former President of the Council for Exceptional Children and Professor Emeritus at the University of Northern Colorado, Department of Special Education shares her expertise on the use of Person Centered Planning for teens to aid in their transition from high school to their young adult lives. Within a process that effectively gives a voice to all who are anywhere along the broad autism spectrum, despite their degree of challenge, Dr. Brewer reminds us that presumption of competence is critical to ensuring that ALL individuals have the opportunity to achieve their full potential, which is, and has been for over 25 years, the mission of US Autism.
As I have been thinking about this topic further though, I am struck by the degree of variation present in those across the spectrum, and I feel it is important to give voice to all those who can’t easily speak for themselves. First, let me begin by saying at US Autism, we take a position of support for all who feel that their autism is simply a natural form of human neurodiversity. For some individuals in this group, autism is not viewed as either disabling, nor as a condition that presents with any physical or cognitive challenges, but instead is something to be both celebrated and appreciated. In last week’s video, we even heard Dr. Linda Silverman, expert on autism in the gifted suggest that autism may be a necessary form of evolutionary human neurodiversity to meet the needs of our ever-evolving planet. We’ve heard similar things from some of our autistic friends too.
But while we can, and certainly should respect the position of neurodiversity for all who feel aligned with that, we also must recognize that for many, autism is, in fact, quite disabling. I began my career in group homes, working with those who were non-vocal, severely impaired, and unable to live independently. For these individuals, and many others across the spectrum, autism is a very disabling condition. We shared in previous blogs that US Autism recognizes a number of common co-occurring physical and psychiatric conditions that often occur alongside autism, and these certainly account for some of the disabling features experiences by so many of our diagnosed friends and family members. But from others, specifically those who cannot speak, they have reported through various non-verbal communications devices that it is their actual “autistic features” that are the most disabling to them. So for these individuals, we also recognize their right to consider their autism as a severe form of disability.
The difference between these two positions, and finding ways to honor both, while ensuring that both receive what they ultimately and need can be kind of challenging for an organization like ours. Especially in this all-to-divided world of ours. This is why we chose the name Divergent World Collective, Inc. for our non-profit registry. Divergent literally means “tending to be different or develop in different directions.” We feel this aptly describes the full autism spectrum but also includes those with other related conditions and diagnoses. Respecting both the autism-as-neurodiversity position and the autism-as-disabling position is the reason that what you will see an exceptionally wide variety of content here at US Autism.
As you consider these two disparate positions, I hope you’ll help us by watching, sharing, and helping us promote this week’s video Planning Person Centered for Teens with Significant Support Needs as much as I enjoyed recording it. I also hope you will consider it for use with all students, irrespective of their degree of “functioning.” Dr. Brewer and I have a long history together and I consider her both my mentor and my friend, a true expert in recognizing strengths and gifts in everyone.