Coming Soon: Promoting Participation in Communities and Schools

Autistic individuals and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities encounter many challenges to community participation. As a result, they are frequently underemployed, bullied, or lonely, and experience an increased reliance on social support, increased illness, and isolation.

Autism-friendly schools, businesses, organizations, and community events are critical to engaging this vulnerable population, particularly teenagers and young adults who are preparing to leave an educational environment and transition into independent living, higher or vocational education, or the workforce.

Taking a two-pronged approach to address these clear needs within communities, researchers from Texas Woman’s University School of Occupational Therapy and stakeholders from My Possibilities, a continuing education and job placement program in North Texas, have developed both resources for community partners and venues, as well as a free, standards-aligned, curriculum for educators and transition-aged learners.

Community partners will gain resources regarding sensory and support needs for autistic community members, common accommodations venues can provide, and methods for evaluating the disability-friendliness of different environments.

Educators, learners, therapists, and self-advocates will have access to Promoting Community Participation for Autistic Learners, a curriculum developed to complement current transition planning curricula for autistic learners—and learners who have similar sensory, communication, and social characteristics—by connecting concepts supported by research with functional, engaging lessons to improve community participation outcomes.

To be notified when the community partner and educator resources are available and to get a sample, please fill out the form below with your information.

Get Your Sample Resources

All components of this project have been funded by the Innovative Autism Treatment Models grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.