Autism for Lifelong Learning

Autism for Lifelong Learning (ALL) is designed to provide supported employment, competitive employment, and community participation support services to adults with autism. As a part of Misericordia University’s Autism Center, ALL’s primary goal is to enable the adults involved in the program to ultimately obtain employment to the fullest extent of their respective abilities. In addition to being prepared to secure employment, the adults will also be exposed to various non-profit groups and interact with the broader Wyoming Valley community."

The ALL Program exists because of significant gaps in the continuum of care and interventions for individuals on the Autism Spectrum of Disorders across the life span. The ALL Program also offers services to adults on the ASD with an accompanying diagnosis of Intellectual Disabilities. Adults diagnosed with autism in Northeastern Pennsylvania do not have opportunities to participate in a program that is specialized to meet their unique needs in a program designed to lead to supported or competitive employment. The ALL Program with the resources of Misericordia University, will meet this need, which will assist program participants to live and function to their highest potential.

The ALL Program Transition Services

Providing transition services to students aged 14-21 through instructional group and individual services in the public schools. 

Transition services and activities are an essential element in young people making the transition to adulthood and for workplace readiness.

The ALL Program has been approved by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) to provide transition services to students and young adults from ages 14 thru 21 with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or have eligibility for Section 504.

The ALL Program is currently providing services in the schools using curricula developed by the ALL Program to provide instructional groups focused on Self-Advocacy, Independent Living Skills, Workplace Readiness Training and Job Exploration. Primary transition activities take place in the school setting under the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA), which include instruction, related services, the development of employment and other post high school adult living objectives, and a functional vocational evaluation. The ALL Program is also approved by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation to provide individual transition services of Job Shadowing and Paid Work Experiences. The ALL Program will provide individual services to students who are identified by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation as needing one or more of these services.

It should be noted that while these services are valuable to all young people with special needs, the ALL Program offers services that are designed to supplement the Transition Program that exists in the student's IEP.

ALL Program Participants

The ALL Program would like to acknowledge and thank the following Misericordia University departments:

• Facilities
• Housekeeping
• Mary Kintz Bevevino Library
• John & Mary Metz Dining Hall
• Cougar Prints
• Book Store
• Information Technology
• Mathematics Department
• Marketing Department 

Transition Resources 

Luzerne County Metal Health and Development Services

Office of Vocational Rehabilitation 

Organization for Autism Research 

Job Accommodations Network

Transition Discoveries 

Autism Collaborative Centers of Excellence