Thanksgiving Without the Sensory Hangover

Thanksgiving is often described as a day of gratitude, togetherness, and delicious food.  In many homes, it is also a five-hour sensory obstacle course featuring loud conversations, competing television volumes, unfamiliar smells, scratchy “nice clothes,” relatives who ask surprise questions, and one person who insists the children should “just try a bite.”

For many children—including autistic children, children with ADHD, sensory-processing differences, anxiety, communication differences, or a strong preference for knowing what is happening next—Thanksgiving can be less turkey and traditions and more why is everyone yelling next to the gravy?

The good news: a sensory-friendly Thanksgiving does not require canceling the holiday, serving plain toast to everyone, or handing out noise-canceling headphones at the door like party favors.  It requires planning, flexibility, and a willingness to value comfort over performance.

First, Redefine Success

Before you uncover the first casserole, let’s adjust the goal.

A successful Thanksgiving is not:

• A child eating every food on the plate.
• Perfect family photos.
• Mandatory hugs for relatives.
• Sitting at the table for an adult-approved length of time.
• Attending every gathering, activity, parade, and post-dinner card game.
• Pretending everyone is comfortable because nobody has climbed under the table yet.

A successful Thanksgiving is one where your child feels safe, supported, included, and able to communicate their needs.

That may mean they eat chicken nuggets instead of turkey.  It may mean they wear sweatpants instead of the formal outfit an aunt with strong opinions chose.  It may mean arriving late, leaving early, or spending part of the day in a quiet room reading, drawing, watching a familiar show, or building an elaborate fort from sofa cushions.

That still counts as Thanksgiving.

Give the Day a Trailer

Adults tend to tolerate surprise better because we have experience, calendars, coffee, and the legal ability to leave a party when our social battery dies.

Children deserve a preview.

In the days before Thanksgiving, explain what the day will look like:

• Where you are going.
• Who may be there.
• How long you expect to stay.
• What foods may be served.
• What activities may happen.
• What might feel loud, busy, crowded, smelly, or unfamiliar.
• When your child can take a break.
• How they can communicate that they need help or are ready to leave.

A visual schedule, social story, photo of the host’s home, countdown calendar, or simple first-then plan can make a mysterious holiday event more predictable.

Previewing the event and using visuals can help children anticipate holiday plans, transitions, people, and sensory experiences.[1][2]

For example:

First: We drive to Grandma’s house.

Then: We say hello and have quiet time in the den.

Next: We eat the foods you choose.

Then: We can play outside or use headphones.

Last: We leave at 5:30 and go home for pajamas and a movie.

It may not fit on a Hallmark card, but it is excellent communication.

Create a Sensory Escape Route

Every holiday gathering should have a designated place where a child can reset.  Not a “time-out room.” Not a punishment corner.  A regulation space.

Before you arrive, ask the host whether your child can use a quiet bedroom, den, porch, office, or low-traffic corner when the gathering becomes too much.  Planning a calm space in advance can help children decompress when they become overwhelmed.[3][4]

Set it up with a few familiar supports:

• Noise-reducing headphones or earplugs.
• A favorite stuffed animal, blanket, book, or toy.
• Fidgets, drawing materials, puzzles, or a calming activity.
• A comfortable hoodie, weighted lap pad, or soft clothing layer.
• Familiar snacks and water.
• An AAC device, charger, and backup communication board.
• A visual timer or “break” card.

The key is to offer the break before your child reaches maximum capacity.  

Regulation works better as prevention than as emergency cleanup.

Pack Like a Sensory Professional

Every family has a Thanksgiving contribution.  Some people bring pie.  Some bring mashed potatoes.  You may bring the sensory kit.

And honestly, yours may be the most useful item at the table.

Consider packing:

• Headphones for noise, music, football commentary, and Uncle Dennis’s booming laugh.
• Sunglasses or a hat for bright rooms, outdoor glare, or flickering candles.
• A preferred snack or safe meal.
• A change of clothes, because mashed potatoes have ambition.
• Comfort items, fidgets, chewies, or sensory tools.
• An AAC device with a full charge, charger, and backup low-tech communication options.
• A visual schedule or a simple written plan.
• A familiar activity for waiting periods.
• A break card, gesture, phrase, or device button for “I need quiet,” “I need help,” or “I want to go.”

Sensory supports such as quieter spaces, softer lighting, lower music, familiar seating, headphones, and comfort items can make a holiday event more manageable.[5][6]

Prepared does not mean pessimistic.  It means you know your child well.

Food Is Not a Character Test

Thanksgiving has a strange way of turning food into a public performance.

“Just one bite!”

“You liked it last year!”

“But it is your grandmother’s recipe!”

“He cannot live on rolls!”

Actually, he can live through one holiday meal without trying cranberry sauce, and so can the entire extended family.

Food preferences and sensitivities are real.  Texture, smell, temperature, color, mixed ingredients, unfamiliar presentation, and pressure can make a holiday plate feel like a sensory science experiment nobody asked to join.

A few helpful strategies:

• Bring foods your child reliably eats.
• Serve familiar foods alongside holiday foods.
• Let your child decide whether to explore something new.
• Avoid bargaining, forcing, or publicly commenting on what they eat.
• Serve small portions so the plate doesn’t feel overwhelming.
• Use familiar utensils, plates, or seating if that helps.
• Remember that eating something is more important than performing adventurous eating for an audience.

Providing familiar or preferred foods is a recommended way to reduce stress for children with food sensitivities or selective eating patterns during Thanksgiving.[7][3]

The turkey will survive without their endorsement.

Make Communication Easy

Thanksgiving is a communication-heavy holiday.  People greet, ask questions, interrupt each other, talk across the room, make jokes, share memories, and ask children to perform on command.

“Tell everybody what you are thankful for!”

“Say hello!”

“Why are you so quiet?”

“Can you look at me when I am talking to you?”

For a child with communication differences, those moments can be exhausting.

Support communication by:

• Keeping AAC available, charged, and within reach.
• Modeling words on the device without requiring imitation.
• Accepting gestures, signs, pictures, scripts, writing, pointing, and body language as real communication.
• Allowing extra time for a child to respond.
• Offering choices instead of broad questions.
• Letting children opt out of greetings, hugs, eye contact, and group performances.
• Teaching a clear way to request help, a break, food, quiet, or leaving.
• Asking relatives to follow the child’s lead rather than demanding conversation.

Your child does not owe anyone a holiday performance.  Communication is about connection, not compliance.

A simple family script can help:

“We are glad you are here.  [Child’s Name] may use their device, gestures, or a few words to communicate.  Please give them time, follow their lead, and do not require hugs or eye contact.”

That is not awkward.  That is access.

Keep the Volume Humane

Thanksgiving noise can pile up quickly: football on television, music in the kitchen, adults catching up, children playing, dishes clinking, timers beeping, and someone blending something at precisely the wrong moment.

If your child is sensitive to sound, small changes can make a large difference:

• Turn off unnecessary background music or lower the volume.
• Choose one sound source at a time: television or music, not both.
• Seat your child at the end of the table or farther from the kitchen.
• Use headphones before your child becomes overwhelmed.
• Offer outdoor play, a walk, or car time as a reset.
• Arrive earlier, before the house becomes crowded and noisy.
• Leave before exhaustion turns into overload.

Reducing background noise, using noise-reduction tools, and providing access to a quiet room are commonly recommended accommodations for holiday sensory overload.[2][8]

No one will lose the true spirit of Thanksgiving because the television is quieter.

Let Tradition Be Flexible

Traditions are supposed to bring connection—not trap families in a script that doesn’t work.

You are allowed to:

• Eat at a different time.
• Skip the crowded event.
• Host a smaller meal.
• Order takeout.
• Have a “Thanksgiving breakfast.”
• Celebrate on another day.
• Invite fewer people.
• Serve preferred foods.
• Wear pajamas.
• Take a walk during dinner.
• Leave early.
• Create your own tradition that fits your actual family.

Maybe your new tradition is eating pie in a quiet room while watching a favorite movie.  Maybe it is a short visit followed by an early bedtime.  Maybe it is a drive-through meal, comfortable clothes, and no pressure to be festive on command.

That is not “ruining” Thanksgiving.  That is designing a holiday your child can enjoy.

The Best Leftovers

At the end of the day, your child may not remember whether the table was decorated beautifully or whether every family member got a photo.

They are more likely to remember whether adults respected their needs, made room for their communication, honored their boundaries, and helped them feel safe when the day became too much.

So, this Thanksgiving, aim for connection over compliance.  Pack the headphones.  Bring the safe foods.  Find the quiet room.  Keep the AAC charged.  Give everyone permission to take a break.

And if your child spends Thanksgiving in dinosaur pajamas eating rolls while avoiding a conversation about stuffing, that is not a sensory failure.

That is a child enjoying the holiday in the way that works for them.

Sources 

1. https://acceltherapies.com/resources/articles/holiday-sensory-overload/ 
2. https://gigisplayhouse.org/wausau/2021/11/18/sensory-strategies-for-the-holidays/  
3. https://www.myautism.org/news-features/tips-for-a-safe-and-sensory-friendly-thanksgiving  
4. https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/holiday-tips-for-kids-with-sensory-emotional-or-focus-challenges 
5. https://www.behaviorfrontiers.com/blog/sensory-friendly-thanksgiving-tips-for-children-with-autism 
6. https://itsasensoryworld.org/ensuring-a-calm-thanksgiving-for-kids-with-autism/ 
7. https://www.bluesprigautism.com/blog/5-tips-for-an-easy-thanksgiving-with-your-child-on-the-autism-spectrum/ 
8. https://mdsearchlight.com/slp/helping-children-handle-holiday-gatherings/ 
9. https://itsasensoryworld.org/managing-sensory-challenges-during-the-busy-december-holidays/ 
10. https://silverliningsclinic.com/blog/creating-a-sensory-friendly-holiday-tips-for-a-joyful-and-stress-free-season 
11. https://besdc.com/holiday-sensory-overload-for-kids/ 
12. https://themighty.com/topic/autism-spectrum-disorder/tips-to-make-thanksgiving-more-comfortable-for-kids-with-autism/ 
13. https://roguebehaviorservices.com/5-ways-to-make-thanksgiving-autism-friendly-this-year/ 
14. https://thekishaproject.com/autism-and-holidays/ 
15. https://www.performancehealth.com/articles/how-to-reduce-holiday-stress-for-your-child-with-autism 

No Crystal Ball, Just a Game Plan: Autism, Adulthood, and the Art of Launching

Autistic youth and young adults can thrive in college, work, and adult life, but the transition often asks them to cross a bridge that was not built with their learning, communication, or sensory needs in mind.  The result is not a lack of talent, but a national gap between what many autistic young people can do and what schools, colleges, employers, and public systems are prepared to support.

The Employment Picture: Honest, Not Hopeless

Anyone who tells families that there is one neat, current national employment percentage for autistic young adults in 2026 is selling certainty that the data do not actually provide.  The strongest widely cited national longitudinal findings still come from the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 and related national reports, which found that 58 percent of autistic young adults had ever worked for pay in their early 20s, a far lower rate than peers in several other disability categories.

A related national study found that 55.1 percent of autistic youth had held paid employment, and 34.7 percent had attended college within the first six years after high school.  Those numbers are sobering, but they are more useful than the dramatic internet claim that “85 percent are unemployed,” which often blends different countries, age groups, time periods, and definitions into one statistic wearing a trench coat.

The larger truth is this: autistic young adults are employable, but many workplaces still hire for interview charm, tolerance for sensory chaos, and the ability to decode vague instructions delivered at 4:52 p.m. on a Friday.  That hiring model filters out strong candidates who may excel when expectations are clear, routines are structured, and performance is judged by skill rather than social theater.

 Jobs Autistic Adults Often Hold

There is no single “autism job list,” because autistic people, in a shocking development, are individual human beings.  Still, many autistic adults are hired into roles that reward focus, consistency, technical skill, pattern recognition, and careful attention to detail.

Career Area	Example Roles	Why The Fit Can Work
Technology	Software tester, programmer, cybersecurity analyst, data analyst, technical support	Clear systems, pattern recognition, logic, structured problem-solving.
Business Operations	Records manager, inventory coordinator, payroll assistant, bookkeeping support, compliance assistant	Accuracy, consistency, process adherence, attention to detail.
Science And Quality	Laboratory support, quality assurance, research assistant, technical drafting	Precision, data collection, quality control, repeatable procedures.
Skilled Trades And Manufacturing	Manufacturing technician, logistics worker, machinist, CAD technician, warehouse operations	Hands-on learning, visible outcomes, routine-based tasks, technical mastery.
Creative And Independent Work	Graphic designer, writer, illustrator, digital media, entrepreneur	Deep interests, original thinking, independent production, flexible work style.
Public-Facing or Service Roles	Library work, customer support, healthcare support, retail or service positions	Can work well when training, communication, and sensory conditions fit the person.

 

Why Many Autistic Employees Can Be Excellent Hires

Autism is not a job qualification in itself, and everyone’s profile is different.  But many autistic employees may bring strengths that employers claim to want and then mysteriously forget during the interview process.

Potential Strength	How It Can Help at Work
Sustained Concentration	Supports deep work, error checking, and follow-through on complex tasks.
Strong Memory	Helps with procedures, product knowledge, technical systems, and long-term retention of details.
Attention To Detail	Improves quality control, compliance, data accuracy, and proofreading.
Pattern Recognition	Useful in coding, analytics, auditing, testing, and troubleshooting.
Reliability And Routine	Helps with punctuality, consistency, and repeatable performance.
Honesty And Directness	Can strengthen communication, ethics, and trust in teams.
Deep Expertise	Adds value in specialized subjects or technical fields.
Persistence	Helps employees stay with difficult problems until they are solved.

In the right role, these qualities can translate into fewer errors, stronger quality control, better compliance, sharper data work, thoughtful technical insight, and dependable performance over time.  The best employers do not ask whether a candidate looks conventional under fluorescent lighting; they ask whether that person can do the work well and what support will help them do it consistently.

How Employment Outcomes Can Improve

Employment outcomes improve when organizations build access into the process rather than offering it as an afterthought.  Nationally, promising practices include skills-based hiring, structured interviews, job simulations, internships, apprenticeships, work-based learning, job coaching, clear written instructions, supervisor training, and accommodation processes that are practical rather than theatrical.

Practice	Why It Helps
Skills-Based Hiring	Measures job ability instead of social performance in interviews.
Structured Interviews	Reduces ambiguity and gives candidates a fairer chance to show competence.
Work Trials Or Job Simulations	Let employers assess real performance on a real,   realistic task.
Internships And Apprenticeships	Build experience, references, confidence, and pathways into paid work.
Job Coaching And Mentoring	Helps with onboarding, communication, routines, and problem-solving.
Clear Written Instructions	Reduces confusion and improves consistency and independence.
Manager Training	Improves retention by helping supervisors understand communication and sensory needs.
Predictable Onboarding	Helps new employees learn expectations without overload.

Project SEARCH is one of the strongest national transition-to-work models because it combines classroom instruction, internships, employer partnerships, and individualized supports in real workplaces.  Research highlighted by autism-employment sources found that participants in Project SEARCH with autism-specific support achieved far stronger competitive-employment outcomes than comparison groups.

College Prospects: Possible, But Not Automatic

College is a strong path for many autistic students.  Still, choose it because it fits the student’s goals, not because it has become America’s default ceremonial answer to adulthood.  The national longitudinal figure most often cited is that 34.7 percent of autistic youth attended college within six years after high school.

That means college is clearly possible, but access and completion are not automatic.  Admission is only the first gate; success often depends on executive-function support, disability accommodations, mental-health care, social support, housing fit, self-advocacy, and a realistic plan for classes, daily living, and employment before graduation.

College Support Area	Why It Matters
Executive-Function Coaching	Helps with time management, assignment planning, email, scheduling, and deadlines.
Disability Accommodations	Provides academic access through adjustments such as reduced-distraction testing, written instructions, and note-taking support.
Mental-Health Support	Addresses stress, anxiety, burnout, and adjustment issues that can derail success.
Peer Mentoring	Helps students navigate unwritten campus rules and social expectations.
Career Support	Connects college to internships, work readiness, and employment after graduation.
Sensory-Aware Spaces	Reduces overload and improves regulation, focus, and stamina.

All colleges receiving federal funding must have a process for disability accommodations, but not all campuses offer autism-specific support beyond the basics.  That is why families should look past glossy admissions language and ask specific questions about coaching, mentoring, sensory supports, crisis response, and career planning.

College Programs and Campus Supports

Across the country, autism-specific college programs can offer supports that go beyond standard disability services.  These may include executive-function coaching, peer mentoring, social communication support, academic planning, career coaching, wellness support, sensory-friendly spaces, and help navigating the hidden curriculum of college life, which is a polite phrase for “all the rules nobody writes down.”

College Or University	Program	Examples Of Support
Adelphi University	Bridges to Adelphi	Academic, social, executive-function, transition, and career coaching; sensory-room support.
University Of Delaware	Spectrum Scholars	Individualized coaching, workshops, and college-to-career support for autistic students.
Rutgers University	College Support Program	Self-advocacy, planning, and college-success support for students with autism and ADHD.
Marshall University	College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder	Individualized academic, personal, and professional support.
Drexel University	Drexel Autism Support Program	Free, confidential autism-focused support services.
Eastern Michigan University	College Supports Program	Transition and persistence support for students with autism and related social-communication needs.
University Of Alabama	UA-ACTS	Academic and behavioral support for students with ASD.
Texas State University	Autism Support Program	Coaching and workshops in executive functioning, communication, and self-advocacy.
Texas Tech University	CASE	Academic support, social opportunities, and employment-focused preparation.
Letourneau University	Bridges College Success Program	Individualized support for transition into college life.

Families should also know about Think College, which maintains a national directory of Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary programs for students with intellectual disabilities, including some autistic students, and about the College Autism Network and College Autism Spectrum, which help families identify colleges with meaningful autism-related supports.

What Parents and Families Need To Know

Parents and families matter enormously in this transition, but the long-term goal is not to become a permanent air-traffic-control tower for another adult’s life.  The goal is to help the young person build self-knowledge, self-advocacy, and practical systems that support real independence over time.

Family Focus Area	What Families Can Do
Start Early	Begin transition planning before senior year and revisit it often.
Build Self-Advocacy	Teach the young person to describe strengths, needs, goals, and accommodations.
Prioritize Work Experience	Seek paid work, internships, volunteering, or job shadowing before graduation.
Practice Adult Living Skills.	Work on transportation, budgeting, health care, schedules, and asking for help.
Plan For Mental Health	Talk about anxiety, burnout, sleep, stress, and social isolation early.
Discuss Disclosure	Help the young person think strategically about if, when, and how to disclose disability.
Match Paths To the Person	Choose college, work, training, or mixed pathways based on fit, not social pressure.

A good transition plan asks practical questions.  What environments fit this student?  What sensory issues matter?  What are the transportation options?  Who will teach interviewing, email etiquette, or problem-solving at work?  What supports will still be there after high school ends and school-based services disappear as quickly as a magic trick?

 

How K–12 Schools Can Support the Process

Schools play a major role in whether autistic students leave high school with a diploma only or with a launch plan.  National transition guidance emphasizes employment, postsecondary education, self-determination, independent living, and youth involvement in planning.

School Strategy	Why It Matters
Early Transition Planning	Builds time for exploration and skill development before graduation.
Student-Led Participation In Meetings	Builds ownership, self-knowledge, and self-advocacy.
Interest-Based Career Assessment	Helps identify meaningful work and training pathways.
Executive-Function Instruction	Improves planning, organization, task completion, and independence.
Work-Based Learning	Gives real-world practice through job shadowing, internships, or paid work.
Partnerships With VR And Employers	Connects students to adult services before school supports end.
Instruction In Adult-Life Skills	Prepares students for money management, travel, disclosure, and workplace communication.

The best school programs do not treat employment as a distant dream to be discussed in spring of senior year.  They treat it as a learnable set of experiences and skills that can be built gradually, intentionally, and repeatedly.

 

National Programs and Resources

Families seeking national support can start with several well-established programs and organizations.  State vocational rehabilitation agencies exist nationwide and may provide career counseling, job placement assistance, training, college planning, work supports, and assistance with accommodations for eligible individuals with disabilities.

Program Or Resource	What It Offers
State Vocational Rehabilitation agencies	Career counseling, training, job placement, college planning, and workplace support for eligible individuals.
Project SEARCH	Internship-based transition-to-work model with business, school, and disability-agency partnerships.
Autism Speaks Transition Roadmap	Planning tool with age-based employment goals and resources.
Autism Speaks Employment Toolkit	Employment planning guidance and provider directories.
Job Accommodation Network	Free guidance on workplace accommodations and interview supports.
Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee	Federal transition toolkits on employment, education, health care, and independent living.
College Autism Network	National information on higher education supports for autistic students.
College Autism Spectrum	College planning and autism-support information for students and families.
Think College	Directory of Comprehensive Transition and Postsecondary programs.

Employers With Autism or Neurodiversity Hiring Initiatives

A growing number of national and global employers have built structured neurodiversity hiring programs.  Examples frequently cited in employer-roundtable and program summaries include SAP, Microsoft, JPMorgan Chase, EY, IBM, Ford, and Capital One.

Employer	Program Or Focus Area	Example Roles
SAP	Autism at Work	Consulting, HR, data science, software engineering, operations.
Microsoft	Neurodiversity Hiring Program	Software, service engineering, data science, analytics, writing.
JPMorgan Chase	Neurodiversity Hiring / Autism at Work	Technology, engineering, QA, business analysis, banking.
EY	Neurodiversity Centers of Excellence	AI, cybersecurity, data analytics, emerging technology.
IBM	Neurodiversity inclusion initiatives	Technology and accommodation-focused inclusion pathways.
Ford	Neurodiversity talent initiatives	Engineering, manufacturing, operations pathways.
Capital One	Autism at Work internship program	Internship and employment pathways in corporate roles.

These programs have included roles in software engineering, cybersecurity, quality assurance, data analytics, banking, consulting, operations, human resources, and customer support.  Just as important, they have helped shift the conversation from “Can autistic people work here?” to the better question: “How should hiring and management work so qualified people can succeed here?”

Sensory-Friendly and Practical Accommodations That Work

Many autistic students and employees do better when sensory load is reduced, and communication is made clearer.

Accommodation Idea	How It Helps
Quiet Workspace	Reduces distraction and sensory overload.
Noise-Canceling Headphones	Helps with focus in busy environments.
Adjustable Lighting	Reduces discomfort from harsh or flickering light.
Scent Reduction	Lowers sensory stress for people sensitive to smells.
Predictable Seating Or Fixed Desk	Reduces uncertainty and helps regulation.
Visual Schedules And Written Instructions	Clarifies expectations and supports independence.
Short Recovery Breaks	Helps with regulation and stamina.
Advance Notice of Changes	Reduces stress around unpredictability.
Remote Or Hybrid Work Where Possible	Allows better environmental control and regulation.
Low-Stimulation Study Or Decompression Space	Supports recovery and focus in college or work settings.

In both college and employment settings, accommodations tend to work best when they are specific, routine, and easy to use.  A calm room, a checklist, a written agenda, a defined desk, an early move-in option, or a supervisor who gives direct feedback may sound small.  Still, small changes often make big differences in stamina, confidence, and performance.

The Better Question

The national conversation should stop asking whether autistic young adults can succeed and start asking why so many systems still make success harder than it needs to be.  Across the United States, the issue is not a shortage of autistic talent; it is a shortage of environments that recognize talent without demanding that every capable person first survive sensory overload, vague expectations, and the social Olympics.

When schools, families, colleges, workforce agencies, and employers build pathways that are structured, respectful, and realistic, autistic youth and young adults are far more likely to move into adulthood with not just services, but opportunity.

We would love to hear from parents/caregivers, advocates, educators, employers, and community partners who support autistic youth and young adults.  Every individual’s path to college, employment, independence, and belonging looks different—and people with lived experience often shape the best solutions.

Question: What support, programs, accommodations, or approaches have you seen make the biggest positive difference for young people on the autism spectrum as they transition into college, careers, and adult life?

References

1. Roux, A. M., Shattuck, P. T., Rast, J. E., Rava, J. A., & Anderson, K. A. National Autism Indicators Report: Employment Outcomes of Young Adults on the Autism Spectrum.  Drexel University Autism Institute.
2. Shattuck, P. T., Narendorf, S. C., Cooper, B., Sterzing, P. R., Wagner, M., & Taylor, J. L. “Postsecondary Education and Employment Among Youth with an autism spectrum disorder.” Pediatrics, 2012.pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Autism Spectrum Disorder in Teenagers and Adults.
4. Institute of Education Sciences.  National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 (NLTS 2012).  ies.  ed
5. Policy Impact Project.  National Autism Indicator Reports.  policyimpactproject
6. Autism Spectrum News.  “Corporate Neurodiversity Hiring Programs: Scratching the Surface.” autismspectrumnews
7. Microsoft.  “World Autism Awareness Day – A Playbook to Inclusive Hiring.” blogs.microsoft
8. Job Accommodation Network.  Autism Spectrum.  askjan
9. Autism Spectrum News.  “A Transition Model That Works: Project SEARCH Autism Enhancement.”autismspectrumnews
10. Illinois Center for Transition and Work.  Brief: Project SEARCH + ASD Supports.  ictw.illinois
11. Autism Speaks.  Transition Roadmap to Meaningful Employment.  autismspeaks
12. Autism Speaks.  Employment Toolkit: Where Do You Start?  autismspeaks
13. Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee.  Transition Resources for Autism – Toolkits and Guides.  iacc.hhs
14. Autism Speaks.  Postsecondary Education.  autismspeaks
15. Indiana Resource Center for Autism.  “Academic Supports for College Students with an autism spectrum disorder.”iidc.indiana
16. SPARK for Autism.  “How to Find the Right College for Autistic Students.”sparkforautism
17. College Autism Network.  collegeautismnetwork
18. College Autism Spectrum.  autismspeaks
19. Adelphi University.  Bridges to Adelphi.  Adelphi
20. Adelphi University.  “Bridges to Adelphi Program Celebrates Anniversary.” Adelphi
21. University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies.  Spectrum Scholars.  cds.  udel
22. University of Delaware Center for Disabilities Studies.  Spectrum Scholars: Who’s Eligible.  cds.  udel
23. Rutgers Center for Adult Autism Services.  College Support Program (CSP) .rcaas.rutgers
24. Marshall University.  College Program for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  marshall
25. American Autism Association.  College Programs for Students with Autism.  myautism
26. College Autism Spectrum.  College Programs Directory.  collegeautismspectrum
27. Autism Speaks.  Workplace Inclusion Now: Employment Resources.  autismspeaks
28. Pulp Stream.  “5 Examples of Autism Accommodations at Work Under the ADA.” pulpstream
29. Think College.  College Search.  thinkcollege
30. Career Launchpad.  “Explore Companies with Neurodiversity Hiring Initiatives.”