Autism Services

APPS (Autism Program Planning Success for Employment)

APPS assists individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders with self-determination and employment readiness skills. The program, which is offered at the Workforce & Technology Center in northeast Baltimore, includes small group, interactive learning sessions that focus on:

Self-determination
Self-advocacy
Decision making
Career interests and skills
Job exploration
Work expectations & responsibilities
Employer expectations
Employee responsibilities
Job readiness

Program requirements:

Documentation of an autism spectrum disorder
Completion of high school requirements
An interview with program staff prior
Ability to participate in all APPS programs and community activities with little supervision

APPS Handout

Pathways

Pathways provides educational support services for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The DORS Pathways program is a collaboration between DORS and community colleges throughout the state. Students participating in Pathways enroll in credit/certificate classes and register with the Disability Support Services (DSS) at their community college. DORS Pathways coordinator works with the students, their families and DORS Counselors, as well as the DSS staff and faculty at the community college.

Program Includes:

Adjustment to college life
Career guidance, counseling and exploration activities
Assessment services
Employment and communication skills
Individual and group sessions

Program Requirements:

Have a documented diagnosis of an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Have a DORS Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) that supports college as part of a vocational plan.
Register with the Disability Support Services program at the college.
Attend weekly group sessions. Students must schedule their classes around this standing appointment.

Pathways Handout

Virtual College Autism Mentoring Progam (VCAMP)

VCAMP is a virtual mentoring and support service for consumers on the autism spectrum attending college and not participating in the Pathways program. This program is available to individuals attending either in-state or out-of-state two- or four-year colleges. This is a remote mentoring program to help the student on the autism spectrum transition into and navigate college. The program also focuses on assisting the student with developing and increasing their self-advocacy and social skills in order to be successful in the college environment.

Driver Education

DORS Workforce & Technology Center offers customized driver education for individuals diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

WTC Autism Services in a Virtual World

A screenshot of twelve Pathways students and two coordinators, in a virtual meeting.

When the COVID-1 pandemic hit and Governor Hogan issued a stay-at-home order for State employees, like most DORS services, Pathways went virtual, as did most college classes.

In its new virtual setting, the social skills group meeting convenes every Tuesday from 2:30 to 3:30 via Google Meets and all the students from all the colleges participate. This means that the groups may have as many as thirty participants. Pathways Coordinator, Whitney Gray says this change in the groups’ venue and composition has had a number of positive outcomes for the students, “They are making connections and building friendships all around the state!”

There have been other silver linings to going virtual. With DORS Pathways staff no longer limited by geographic constraints, WTC developed a new program: Virtual College Autism Mentoring Program (VCAMP). VCAMP offers virtual mentoring and support to help students on the autism spectrum navigate college and have a positive college experience. VCAMP expands the reach of WTC Autism Services, because as a virtual program, it is available to students attending in-state and out-of-state two- or four-year colleges not served by Pathways.

Autism Services staff are excited about the changes. Whitney Gray: “We’re connecting directly with the students and encouraging them to use the resources on the campus…and it’s still face-to-face, because it’s crucial when working with folks with autism, to see how they are doing. And, we are still available to them via email, phone, etc. So, we can see and help more students.”

Autism Services Supervisor Lee Armstrong reports that there are almost forty consumers currently enrolled in Pathways. “[With VCAMP] the expectation is that [DORS consumers] have more options when pursuing post-secondary education. This semester, staff reached out to recent Pathways graduates and connected with students [at] UMGC, Towson, and UMBC.” The hope is to serve at least 10 DORS consumers through VCAMP to expand the program over the coming year.

Pathways is a collaboration between DORS and two-year community colleges throughout the state, which include: