by Jason Ross
Jason Ross is an Autistic adult working for the Autism Science Foundation. He has appeared on PBS’ “This Emotional Life” with Ami Klin. Jason blogs about neurodiversity, autistic rights, fiction, poetry, and artwork at www.drivemomcrazy.com.
As an adult with autism, I am encouraging Autistic people to step up and share their voices as we continue this journey to build a better community of inclusion. Part of building that community is developing and improving services for adults with autism, which is the ultimate goal of ASF and UJA’s Adult with ASD survey. Hopefully this survey will bring us closer to autism acceptance.
I decided to join this initiative and help Autism Science Foundation with this research project because many of my Autistic friends that I have spoken with either lack services or have none at all. Autistic adults need improved services to lead easier and more fulfilled lives.We need improved services because:- Services can build our strengths- we can use our strengths to build our lives!
- Services can help us get jobs- Autistics need jobs too. Better services will better prepare us for employment in the future!
- Services can help us communicate- we need improved services in order to communicate our thoughts and feelings especially since some people think we don’t have feelings or thoughts of our own!
- Services can help us live inclusively in society- although social skills classes are important, most classes don’t include everything we need to know.
Autistic people face many barriers in society. Please complete the survey to help lift them. You may be eligible for the survey if you are an adult with autism or a parent or caregiver of an adult with autism. If you aren’t eligible, recommend this survey to someone who can take it. A barrier we have always faced is not being included in helping with research that affects us. The survey being administered now will help researchers understand what works best for us and what does not. Help us help researchers do the right thing. Be heard.
Here is the link to the survey:http://orca.kennedykrieger.org/index.php?sid=86954&newtest=Y&lang=enPlease email me at jross@autismsciencefoundation.org if you have any questions.