UNO Program Provides Autism Assistance
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Think for a moment about the diversity of color on the light spectrum.
For those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the manifestation of symptoms can be as diverse as the colors of the rainbow. In terms of Autism’s symptomology, it may only be a minor yet persistent deficit in social development while, in others, it can represent more severe, prohibitive disabilities.
As autism awareness has grown, so has the amount of assistance available to K-12 children. But in many cases, there are still very few social opportunities for them after high school.
In collaboration with Autism Action Partnership, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is answering the call and providing a means for those with Autism to develop their social skills after high school – it’s called UNO Transitions.
“There’s a saying in the world of autism,” says Troy Romero, UNO associate professor and head of UNO Transitions. “Once you know one person with autism, you know one person with autism.”
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, ASD is characterized by: “Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across multiple contexts; Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities; Symptoms are present in early development and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of current functioning.”
It’s those “persistent deficits” that the UNO Transitions program focuses on.
According to the UNO Transitions Facebook page, the program’s focus is “to enhance and support the adaptive skills that apply to social interactions and impact quality of life.” As the their purpose statement states: “Quality of life encompasses a person’s sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in day-to-day life in relation to his or her own goals, values, standards and expectations.”
Each participating member is assigned a UNO student mentor who acts as their guide through the foreign and complex world of socialization. So far UNO Transitions members have had a day at the park, gone iceskating and enjoyed playing board games. Most recently they put on an event in the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center called “Friendsgiving,” which provides the structure of Thanksgiving, typically a family affair, for a gathering of friends.
The most recent exciting development in the young life of UNO Transitions is they have been selected along with eight other organizations to take residence in the CEC in January. Romero says he is excited, optimistic and grateful for their new home. Along with increased exposure and accessibility to the community, he believes the Transitions program is a perfect fit for the CEC.
“We’d already moved most of our events into the CEC because of the building is so conducive to what we do and who we are as a program,” Romero said.
For more information about UNO Transitions, or to get involved go to https://www.facebook.com/unotransitions, or email Romero at tromero@unomaha.edu.