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https://reasonstobecheerful.world/arizona-autism-charter-school-hands-on-experience/>
"Like many students across the country, 16-year-old Ayden von West has high
hopes for his education and career once he graduates from high school. “I want
to get into engineering,” he says. “I’m probably going to go to college for
aerodynamics or aerospace engineering because I want to get more into the
engineering and flight design of drones.”
Statistically, however, von West faces a more difficult path than most do when
it comes to achieving his dream. That’s because von West is autistic.
Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face tough odds after high school:
According to a study published in the medical journal
Pediatrics in 2012,
only 35 percent of 18-year-olds with ASD go to college, and of those who
graduate, only 15 percent are employed. More recent studies have similar
findings: Only 36 percent of young adults on the spectrum attempt postsecondary
education, including two- and four-year colleges or vocational schooling. Of
those who do, only 38.8 percent will complete their degree. This means that
only about 14 percent of students with autism go on to graduate from college.
In many cases, what stands in the way is not the youths’ intellectual faculties
or physical capabilities but instead the lack of specialized education and
transitional support services.
In Phoenix, Arizona, one woman — and one school — is seeking to change that."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
