Ann Millan, author and autism advocate, has some very real and meaningful understandings of autism spectrum. When Ann’s daughter, Robin, was diagnosed with autism in the 70’s, autism was an extremely rare disorder. There were no flurry of organizations, groups or social networking sites for support. Therefore, the Millan family’s path to independence for Robin is all the more astounding.
Robin is an engaging, talented and caring  woman who holds two jobs, drives her own car and owns her own condo. The diagnosis of classic autism is still there, but it certainly does not have the power to define who she is. I am so pleased to be speaking with her mother, Ann, today.

Kathleen: Ann, Welcome and thanks for joining me again. Your book, Autism: Believe in the Future-From Infancy to Independence is an amazing book. Not only do you share your personal family story, but you give a complete description and road map for families to follow who are wondering where in the world to begin charting a productive path for their affected family members.

Today let’s talk a little about .....‘Employment’.

Ann:   In adulthood, I personally think this is the most important place to start. I see some individuals with autism anxious to moved into an apartment or group home but adulthood is a process and I think getting your “purpose” in life, that job, is the first stepping stone. (Now, of course, I’m not talking about those individuals who leave home to attend college, that’s different.)

Kathleen:  As you pointed out in your book, behavior is a pivotal factor for successful employment. Describe for us what steps you took to ensure appropriate behaviors prior to Robin entering the workforce.

Ann:   After high school, Robin worked in a home office I had set up in our house. This gave her the continued structure andboundaries I felt she still needed.  As part of my home school program, then high school, she had typing daily. She liked it, and she wanted to work in an office some day. This was a good fit.


Kathleen:  So this was a natural transition.

Ann:   I think so. She was interested in what I was doing and the skills we were working on transitioned well. I gave her responsibilities. She was in charge of opening the mail, sorting, putting orders into the computer, and writing the deposit slips. When I hired another person to work in the office, she had no problem. All of this, of course, was with me being her guide. That definitely gave her a comfort zone of security; however, I think it was critical for her at the time. She was not ready for the confusion of working with people she did not know.

Kathleen:  So you were taking the time to build basic work skills as well as work ‘ethic’, as in the importance of professional appearance and ‘pride in a job well done’ before her first job placement outside of the home.

When Robin began her first ‘away from home’ job, Bob actually sought employment at the same location as well. You did, however, see to it that they worked different shifts. Why was this important? Important that he be employed at the same location and that there was still that increment of ‘distance’?

Ann:   It was several years later, and our move to Florida, before we started looking for employment outside the home for Robin. In Florida, she went through our state’s employment office and had a six-week evaluation. I was very discouraged with their final evaluation and realized that Robin was probably going to be attending an adult day training (ADT) program. Because we are Robin’s best advocates, Bob and I came up with another solution. Knowing the positive work experience she had with me,  we decided to use that model.
Long story short, I helped Robin get a job bagging groceries at a new grocery store opening two blocks from our house. She knew a lot of the customers because they were church members or neighbors. We shopped at the store and Bob monitored her progress. He worked with Robin and gave her the confidence to navigate the parking lot. She taught her to ride a bicycle to work.
As time went on, we were getting concerned about some of the behaviors we were seeing in Robin at home. She was back to her “good day, bad day syndrome” and we were afraid of inappropriate behaviors in the work place. Therefore, Bob also got a job at Publix also. Originally, they worked similar shifts but as her confidence level returned, they worked different hours. Actually, Robin worked more hours than Bob.  

Kathleen:   After the six week evaluation you were discouraged....could you elaborate a bit more about the adult day training program (ADT)?  I’m sure there are many who are not familiar with how it works.

Ann:   I have nothing against ADT’s and they definitely serve an important service to communities; however, I wasn’t ready to give up on Robin. I observed our local ADT and felt it was more of a babysitting situation. I felt if Robin was placed there, she’d stay forever.  

Kathleen:  I see. This was not a transition into productive employment.

Ann:   I didn’t see it that way.  

Kathleen:  What were some of the more immediate improvement to Robins mental and emotional well being after starting work at Publix....and she had her ‘footing’?

Ann:   It was amazing. She loved pay day. She understood her paycheck was money she had worked for. She had to learn, and did, the importance of doing a good job. She learned responsibility and good hygiene in the work place. One of the hardest things for her was to understand just because another employee does something wrong, doesn’t give you permission to do the same thing. An example is keeping your station clean or picking up paper off the floor or returning merchandise to the store shelves. And of course, talking and talking and talking instead of bagging and bagging and bagging more groceries.

Kathleen:  Oh certainly. Being self directed and having an inner moral compass is advanced ‘course work’ for everyone.

And I’m sure that all the previous experiences through 4H club and MASH helped with the transition into working at Publix as well.

Ann:   Yes. Parents of typical children set goals for their child and they work toward that goal starting the first day of school. Studyyour lessons, complete your homework, etc. . . . and hopefully they will go to college with parental encouragement. These children usually learn responsibility and self-direction automatically so these are never really targeted as goals.
However, for individuals with autism, that usually is not the case. Responsibility and moral compass, along with many other assumed automatic responses, must be part of the learning process as early as possible for individuals with autism. They need to be ingrained, not a one-time experience.
Robin’s socialization, including 4-H, majorettes and even MASH in adulthood, emphasized her acceptance and therefore she WANTED to do the things she did. She WANTED to be included. She WANTED to please other people. But wanting something and it happening are two entirely different things. It took our commitment and experience. We set her up for success and she succeeded.

Kathleen:  That is an excellent point Ann. Empowering people on the autism spectrum to accomplish their natural desires, dreams and goals is quite a gift…..and one that takes consistency and perseverance on the part of parents and advocates. The empowerment doesn’t take place through the ‘fun’ activities alone, but in day to day consistency and tireless reinforcement.

It seems that a job for Robin was quite an accomplishment...but her employment goals didn’t stop with being a bagger at  Publix. She both advanced in that position and acquired a SECOND job as well.

Ann:   Yes. My motivation, admittedly, was knowing other individuals with developmental disabilities, including autism. Some of them were advancing in their lives and Robin was sitting still! In addition I was becoming involved in our state’s developmental disability support groups and there I saw even more possibilities
At this same time (Robin was twenty-eight years old), there was a one-day conference in Orlando on the new Defeat Autism Now (DAN) protocol for autism. This included the gluten-free casein-free diet with vitamins and supplements. We went as a family to the conference, and DAN, along with Robin starting three hours of language therapy a week, jump started her progress to where she is today.

Kathleen:  I like the Tim Russert quote, “There’s no better exercise for the human heart than to bend down and pick someone else up.” I think it’s applicable here because that is exactly what you have done in the past, through your years of advocacy, and do now through sharing your family’s story in the book Autism: Believe in the future. I believe in doing these things you became thoroughly capable and empowered to be the advocate that Robin needed you to be.

I would like to take a moment to encourage other parents and caregivers to become involved in any way possible with the autism awareness community....more for their own family’s edification than any other reason.

The DAN protocol has become much less controversial in the past year or so...mostly because there is little argument with undeniable success. Do you believe that is the case? Do you feel that DAN is becoming more and more mainstream in its acceptance?

Ann:  Some parents like DAN and other’s do not. Their choice; however, if you want your child to become less challenged by autism, it’s the place to be today. Robin needed the vitamins and supplements and her diet to be balanced so that she could benefit from the therapies, education, and social opportunities she received. Remember, Robin was on the Feingold die (eliminating food coloring and perservaties) in childhood.

I look at the parents today who are determined to ignore DAN, using excuses that it’s too expensive, lack of scientific evidence, or failure--it didn’t work for my child. Every child is different and some children are much more difficult than others. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t work! It takes determination and patience to succeed sometimes. Some doctors are even better than others. Don’t quit too soon.

Remember the parents of children who were deaf twenty or thirty years ago? They did not approve of the cochlear implant for individuals who were deaf.  Even the deaf support groups said society needed to accept deaf people and not try to ”fix”  them.  Well, that’s not the attitude today, parents want their children to fit in. Same opportunities are with DAN.  

I don’t want take a holier-than-Thou attitude here, but, “why wait for scientific studies regarding proper nutrition?” Medical doctors already know the dangers of gluten with Celiac disease. There is no pill. Oh, there are pills to flatten your child’s personality but that’s it.
Now for individuals with autism who also have a seizure disorder, that’s very difficult but they can take advantage of both worlds - seizure medication and DAN.

Kathleen:  I definitely agree with you, Ann, in that diet modifications as outlined in the DAN protocol deserve a fair chance. There is no down side to healthier eating, cooking from scratch and staying away from food additives, dyes and preservatives. Given that so many families verify that it has been effective makes it a 'net, net, net' gain in my opinion. There is everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Unfortunately double blind studies do not seem to be in the foreseeable future for DAN...you’re correct.

It seems we have gotten off course regarding employment, but not really. All of the issues we’re discussing: socialization, optimum diet, support groups.....all play an integral part in allowing the employment transition to be smooth and successful.

Ann:  Employment is presenting yourself as the best person you can be. Families cannot expect employers to overlook inappropriateness in a job setting. They have a business to run.
Robin’s been at Publix for fifteen years, with outstanding evaluations. Robin’s DAN, weekly language therapy, family support, and an incredible employer have all made this happen for her. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of setting a person up for success and giving them the support to succeed. One ball dropping could change everything. Today, I feel very confident Robin’s growth, through these years, has secured a positive future for her.
I know a lot of individuals with developmental disabilities these opportunities have not happened for them. Many hop from job-to-job and others are never given a chance for employment.  Robin was almost one of them.

Kathleen:  Has Robin ever been bored with her job?

Ann:   Not really; however, three years ago, Robin took on a second job at our local YMCA. I felt she needed additional challenges. She is an assistant membership receptionist two mornings a week. She loves the variety in her life.

Kathleen:  How is this experience different from the one she had with Publix?

Ann:   The YMCA requires more socialization skills, which have been challenging for her. Robin is good at talking to the people she knows but strangers are a different matter. The Y has even set goals for her (X number a week) and she just can’t or doesn’t do it.
After re-reading my own book, I think I’ve identified how to correct this, and I’m working on it. In the OT section (which my OT daughter helped write) we talk about “attention and regulating.” I think part of Robin’s problem might be that she’s focusing so much on the confusion of other employees around her, she cannot focus her attention on new customers. Robin’s always keeping track of what everyone else is doing (an autism trait, but not her job). She needs to focus on her JOB.

Kathleen: Yes, focus is important. Being able to stay on task in a busy environment is difficult.

So the YMCA is a good ‘stretch’ for her social skills and is even proactive in the development of goals. She needs to speak to a certain number of strangers per week? Is that the goal?

Ann:   Yes. She needs to tell people about the YMCA and even about MASH. She’s still not doing a good job at that. She’s friendly, smiles, and works hard but the fine-tuning still needs work.

Kathleen:  Some of our colleagues are working on Video Self Modeling as a teaching/training tool for those on the autism spectrum. Do you think perhaps taping Robin doing presentations about the YMCA and about MASH would be beneficial? That way she would see her personal BEST over and over again, once it’s captured on video.

Ann:   You know, we do that in her language therapy. Video self-modeling might be a good idea. She is so sensitive to being ask over and over to do something she doesn’t understand - that just might work. I know in the past, I just have to find the right route to the problem, then it’s solved.

Kathleen:  One of the interesting components of VSM is that the video can be adjusted by the videographer to actually acheive a SLIGHTLY higher degree of competency than the person acheived. This gives some added incentive and confidence.

Ann:   Where can I find out more about this. Admittedly, I’ve heard of it but you’re not talking about just me going in and videoing are you?

Kathleen:  Researcher, educator and autism advocate, Michael Leventhal, is working on a VSM project and is looking for interested persons on the spectrum, their caregivers and advocates to participate in his program. Information can be found at the website: www.tech4autism.com . There is a short survey there that he would love for interested persons to fill out which would help the program concept along.

Ann:  Oh, this is just too funny. And a good example of networking. I am absolutely interested in this and will go to his web site.

Kathleen:  Wonderful Ann. This is a revolutionary project and I hope that those reading this will also pass along the website to anyone who may be interested in participating.

Even though Robin might not be 'acing' the presentation on the Y and MASH, she definitely is successful in her job placements….AND her personal life.

Robin is an amazing and tenacious woman. She obviously has a great deal of pride in her work and in herself. Once again Ann, your book, Autism: Believe in the Future, gives a clear step by step road map to a successful and independent life for an individual on the autism spectrum. Thank you for sharing again this week!

The next time we come together, let’s take a look at “Community Inclusion”.

Ann:   Definitely. Growing with everyone in life is a process. When a person is employed and has confidence in themselves, then community inclusion is the natural next step.

For more insights from Ann and helpful autism  information, look for our next segment of:

Asking Ann About Autism

Ann’s book can be found in bookstores and online at:

Ann’s Book on Amazon

And at Ann’s website:

Autism: Believe in the Future