Project THRIVE provides degree-seeking students who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related disorders with equal access to the University of North Florida. Throughout the year, THRIVE hosts social events that encourage students to practice social skills in a welcoming environment. One of the events included a game afternoon, where students could bring in board, card, or electronic games and host tournaments. The day was filled with laughter and friendly competition. The afternoon of recreation was not exclusive to THRIVE participants, but open to all UNF students. People from all sorts of majors and programs could integrate and create a closer campus community.

Young adults with ASD may find it difficult at first to socialize with their peers. So, communal events like this allow students to explore their social boundaries. Making this game day inclusive also gave THRIVE students the opportunity to make new friends. When it comes to friendships, sometimes you need to take the interaction outside of the classroom. In a laidback setting, people will feel more comfortable to be themselves.

As seen in the picture, students played card games while munching and sipping on snacks provided by the HDS Foundation. THIRVE Coordinator, Tara Rowe, is also pictured hanging out with two students during the afternoon. Tara has kept the HDS Foundation updated with THRIVE’s happenings and shared great pictures. We encourage Project THRIVE to continue their mission and hope they keep hosting these fun events next school year!

Recently, Project THRIVE held their Community Learning Opportunity (CLO) event. CLO is a career fair held for the THRIVE students, in which the students educate businesses and employers on what Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is and different ways to support employees with ASD in the workplace. The career fair allows students to network with potential employers, building relationships that can help them get jobs with the company in the future.

The students prepared for the Community Learning Opportunity event for quite some time. They built resumes that highlighted their education, extracurricular activities, and work experience to present to the employers. THRIVE staff briefed the students beforehand on how the event would work, what companies would be there, and how to approach the employers they were interested in getting a job with. The days before the event were spent practicing individual introductory speeches with the Program Director and Assistant Dean of Students. Introductions are crucial during a job search, so preparing these speeches ensured that the students would be able to connect with the employers, especially those that offered jobs interesting to them.

When the day finally arrived, excitement and anticipation coursed through the students, directors, and employers. The event was held in a large room with tables for the company representatives to set up. The students arrived later and they had clearly dressed to impress, some even sporting full suits! The students circled the room, stopping at each table to introduce themselves find out each representative’s role at their company. If the student was particularly interested in a job, they could hand the employer their resume.

The students also had the opportunity of speaking with the employers about what it means to have Autism Spectrum Disorder, how it affects their life, and how to accommodate people with ASD in the workplace. They spoke of previous accommodations made by co-workers that had helped them, and different ways a workplace could support employees with ASD. It was a learning experience for the employers to be presented with first-hand accounts of how to assist their employees with ASD while having a more inclusive and diverse work environment.

CLO was a success for the employers and the Project THRIVE team, and we loved hearing about the experience. Congratulations on another successful CLO!

In March, Dr. Temple Grandin gave a seminar at the University of North Florida about her accomplishments. This was of particular interest to the THRIVE students because Dr. Temple Grandin is a remarkably successful woman and innovator in the agricultural field, who also has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Dr Grandin’s seminar is titled “Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism.”  The THRIVE program directors and students had the incredible opportunity of not only listening to Dr. Grandin’s life story but also being able to meet her.

In the seminar, “Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism,” Dr. Grandin discusses her life growing up and how she because interested in the agricultural industry.  She spoke about having difficulties in English class as it focused on figurative language, but she found mathematics and science mush easier as they were based on logic and formulas. She also had a very strong grasp on visual learning. Having autism had led her to think in pictures; for example, when someone mentioned a horse, she would mentally pull up all the pictures of horses she had ever seen.

Thinking in pictures also significantly helped her in pursuing a career in agriculture and in designing popular cattle herding methods.  She was able to pick up on thing other people could not. She was also very skilled at tracking and understanding their movement in circular patters, and angles that would be bast suited to them, which aided in their further development of methods.

Temple Grandin faced many obstacles in her life. She was a newcomer to the field when she was first trying to make tremendous changes.  At the time, people had very little understanding of Autism.  She preserved these obstacles and paved the way for others who also shared in her difficulties with Autism.

Dr. Grandin is considered the most accomplished and well-known adult with autism in the world.  In fact, her journey was made into a film.  The THRIVE students were so inspired and thrilled to see and meet someone like them who overcame so many obstacles and rose to such a level of success. Dr. Grandin’s presentation also increased awareness and understanding about ASD for UNF students who may not have encountered ASD or who may not have understood what it means to have ASD.

After the seminar, the THRIVE students met with Dr. Grandin to take pictures and speak to her for a bit.  They were thrilled to have met her.

Thank you to Dr. Temple Grandin for visiting UNF and to UNF for hosting this wonderful event.  Also, thank you to Tara Rowe for all the great pictures you shared with us!