Here is a story by Susie Steckner of the Phoenix (AZ, US) Republic that I’m glad got coverage, but I fear it contains some mis-information. I’ve extracted more from it than I would usually because I need to provide enough to show why I’m raising the questions I raise after the quote. Let me be clear, however, that Ms. Steckner’s article covers important topicsz—aging out, post-school transition services, individual successes, employment opportunities, corporate contributions to services, and more.
Martha Baracy’s life has a simple rhythm.
Each day, she catches a bus to a Scottsdale elementary school, where she works in the cafeteria, visits with co-workers and delights in the smiles of schoolchildren.
When she’s not working, Baracy, 27, may take a trip to the library to fill her voracious appetite for books or have lunch with friends at her former workplace.
Born with a learning disability, Baracy is defying the odds with her independence.
She and her family credit the non-profit agency Scottsdale Training and Rehabilitative Services (STARS) for opening so many doors and helping her to find a suitable job.
In the Valley, still, demand for such jobs exceeds the supply.
Agencies such as STARS are becoming increasingly important throughout the Valley as the area faces a growing need for vocational programs for adults with a wide range of disabilities, including autism.
In Maricopa County, more than 14,000 people with developmental disabilities seek assistance from the state Department of Economic Security; countless others get help through non-profit organizations or on their own.
Autism now ranks as the country’s most prevalent childhood developmental disorder, affecting one in every 166 children, according to the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center in Phoenix. Advocates say developing vocational and other opportunities is critical as students “age out” of public high schools at age 22 with few options.
Here is the first set of questions: Under what category of disability do you think think Ms. Baracy was eligible for special education during her school years? Learning Disabilities? If the answer is “Learning Disabilities,” where did she get the “voracious apetite for books?” That’s a bit unusual, no? If it’s not Learning Disabilities, then this is yet-another example of the mis-use of the term. (Click on “Not LD” in the categories list for other examples.)
Here’s the second set: If Autism has a prevlence of 1 in 166, how could that be greater than 1 in ~20 prevalence of Learning Disabilities? Is the part about Autism included because Ms. Baracy’s disability is actually Autism? If so, it is great that she’s high-functioning enough to commute, work, and read…wonderful! Is this more relevant to a later part of the article about adults with Autism?
Link to the full story.
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