Adult Autism Awareness Day

Adult Autism Awareness Day is commemorated annually on April 18th since 2009.

HEADD.org, the first private program provides support to university students with autism and Asperger Syndrome has announced a series of expert workshops in order to organize the first celebration of Adult Autism Awareness Day.

The national conference was corporate to present by the Autism and Related Disorders Advisory Board (ABOARD in abbreviation) at the University of Pittsburgh and including sponsorship by Autism Speaks, Autism Services Bureau, University Carnegie Mellon, Allegheny County Community College, Duquesne University, Pennsylvania State Office of Occupational Rehabilitation, and UPMC. Post-secondary education and employment, as well as research and law are some examples about discussed topics.

According to Carolyn Komich Hare, director and founder of AHEADD.org, the goal is to raise awareness of our Autistic Adult Community, demonstrating the importance of transition planning to promote inclusion through education and social improvement and employment outcomes for adults with autism. There are some famous speakers such as Representative Mike Doyle (D-PA), founder of the Autism Research and Education Coalition (CARE), as well as university officials, licensed professionals, and youth with autism. A complete program is available on the AHEADD.org website.

Some truths about AHEADD that you may not know: AHEADD organization is the official sponsor of this holiday. Founded in 2002, by Pittsburgh-based mother-of-two Carolyn Komich Hare, AHEADD.org provides individual counseling and advocacy services to college students with Asperger's Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder, High Functional Autism and Nonverbal Learning Disorder. Some available program appears in DC, FL, MA, NY, PA, and TX and is rapidly expanding into higher education settings nationwide.

The AHEADD model that supports personalization was recently featured in USA Today and the Wall Street Journal. One hundred percent of college students who took part for one semester improved their GPA by at least 0.5 (and sometimes up to two) points. Ninety percent of students who were on an academic probationary period were able to successfully continue their college careers with the support of the program. Additional information is available at AHEADD.org.