By Crystal Hayes, Interim Program Director, and Misty Wagner, Head Student Advisor, CIP Long Beach in Autism Spectrum News
Graduating high school, going to college, finding an apartment, landing that first job, getting married – these are all exciting milestones associated with the transition from high school to independent living. For adolescents with autism, formal planning for this transition begins at age 14 with the IEP team, however, it is never too early to begin introducing and reinforcing important independent living skills such as problem solving, adaptability, and self-advocacy.