Developing Identity, Strengths, and Self-Perception for Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Introduction. 1. Personal Stories. Lesson 1: Early Childhood. Lesson 2: Teen Years. Lesson 3: Young Adulthood. Lesson 4: Writing Your Own Story. 2. The Language of ASD. Lesson 1: Identity Models. Lesson 2: Diagnostic Language. Lesson 3: Identity Language. Lesson 4: Diagnostic Criteria and the Impact on Community. Lesson 5: Owning ASD. 3. ASD in the Media. Lesson 1: Development of Perceptions through Popular Media. Lesson 2: ASD in the News. Lesson 3: ASD in Movies and Television. Lesson 4: ASD through Social Media. 4. Identifying Your Strengths. Lesson 1: Success and ASD Qualities. Lesson 2: Identifying the Established Strengths in ASD. Lesson 3: Recognizing Your Individual Strengths. Lesson 4: Replacing Negative Self-Perceptions. Lesson 5: Reframing Your View. 5. Developing Your Core Identity. Lesson 1: Identifying What Makes You Calm, Passionate, and Anxious. Lesson 2: Developing Your Core Identity Features. Lesson 3: It is Rarely Black and White. Lesson 4: The Intersection of Your Core Identity Features. 6. Social Rules and Social Confusion. Lesson 1: Social Confusion and Establishing Purpose. Lesson 2: Rules of Social Engagement. Lesson 3: Building Your Social First Aid Kit. Lesson 4: Digging Your Way Out. 7. Building Your Team. Lesson 1: Understanding Your Preferences. Lesson 2: Recognizing the Preferences of Others. Lesson 3: Partnering Preferences to Build Teams. Lesson 4: Roles in Work Teams/Groups. 8. Changing the Goal. Lesson 1: Looking Forward. Lesson 2: Choosing the Right Academic Major. Lesson 3: The Career Continuum. Lesson 4:An Introduction to Community Service, Job Shadowing, and Internships. Lesson 5: Mentors and Career Preparation. Next Steps. Appendix A - BASICS Chart Student Example. Appendix B - Guided Discussion. References.

This book is a must-have for all young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. It outlines specific strategies and exercises to tackle one of the most difficult to address, as well as most overlooked, developmental differences that people with ASDs face; that is, developing a sense of self, identifying personal strengths, and learning how to build on them. Self-reflection and the ability to observe and learn about the self is one of the most pervasive challenges those with ASD face. Thanks to the addition of the BASICS College Curriculum series, and especially this book, the need for a structured approach to help each person with ASD reach his or her personal aptitudes has been met and is easily accessible to all.