The friendly challenge
The question Tyler’s teachers asked, and why both answers were okay.
Help your autistic teen become independent · Tyler’s Teen-to-Adult Parent Program
Can your teen make it on their own one day?
“It’s okay to do all those small steps.”Tyler McNamer
Now an adult, Tyler walks you through how he got there: friends, bullies, chores, money, a first job and the driving test. Plus the small steps his family used.
Start the Program — $29.95By Tyler McNamer, autistic author & speakerAuthor of Becoming ONE and Population ONEWith his dad, Jody
Does this sound like home?
When you lie awake wondering about after school
After high school, Tyler joined a three-year adult living program to learn money, banking and buses. At first, he says, he just wanted to go home. Moving from his school routine to a job “wasn’t easy.”
This program is how he kept going, one small step at a time.
- Your teen still needs you for chores, money or getting around
- Your teen wants friends, but making them feels impossible
- You worry about bullying, and whether your teen would even tell you
- You wonder about a job, driving and life after school
Autism and the transition to adulthood
“Are you okay doing this by yourself?”
A text at the dock
“Locked.”
“Something at the bookstore”
“Minus the speed”
“Quite a few times”
“It’s all in the movements”
“Ups and downs”
What you’ll discover inside
Real moments from Tyler’s teen and young adult years, and the small, practical steps his family used.
The ferry to Seattle
How Tyler rides his bike and the ferry alone, and the check-ins his mom asks for.
Thinking out loud
The little cue words Tyler says to keep his day on track.
The right first job
How his family matched a job to his strengths and senses, and the job that did not fit.
The arcade trick
What Tyler pictured at a construction zone his driving lessons never covered.
The driving test
Tyler’s honest advice for the day it does not go well.
Friends without words
The street dance where Tyler felt part of something.
The daily question
What his mom asked every day, and why it matters if your teen is bullied.
…and much more.
Just focus more on what you can do.
Tyler McNamer, on finding work
Included
For the fridge door
A printable tip sheet for every talk
Each talk comes with a one-page sheet you can print and keep close: what Tyler explains, plus one small thing to try this week.
- The key ideas in plain words
- A “Try:” step for every idea
- Tyler’s or Jody’s words to keep
- Easy to share with teachers, job coaches and family
Meet your guides
Tyler walked this road
Tyler McNamer is an autistic author and speaker. He wrote Becoming ONE about growing up from teen to adult with autism. His dad, Jody, joins him, and closes the program with a talk just for parents.
Becoming ONE: autism, adolescence and the transition to adulthood
Population ONE: over 190,000 copies sold
Honest about what helped him, and what each family has to try for themselves
Start today
Walk the road with Tyler
The Road to Independence: Tyler’s Teen-to-Adult Parent Program
$29.95
One payment. Not a subscription.
- Tyler’s talks on friendship, bullying, independence, jobs and driving
- Jody’s talk for parents on building confidence that lasts
- A printable tip sheet for every talk
- Watch on phone, tablet or computer, as often as you like
Half of these talks are also inside other AutismWorks programs. Bought on their own, those programs cost $247.
What parents ask first
How can I help my autistic teen become more independent?
Every teen is different. Tyler shares what worked for him: small steps with support close by, a written task list that slowly fades, check-in texts on solo trips, and learning who is safe to ask for help. Each idea comes with a small “Try:” step on the tip sheet.
Who teaches it?
Tyler McNamer, an autistic author and speaker and the author of Becoming ONE and Population ONE, together with his dad, Jody McNamer.
Is this medical advice?
No. Tyler and his family share what they lived and what helped Tyler. Every tip sheet says it too: talk with your child’s care team about what fits your child.
Who is it for?
Parents, grandparents, teachers and job coaches of an autistic teen or young adult who is getting ready for life after school.
How do I watch it?
It is an online video program. After you buy, log in to your AutismWorks library and watch at your own pace on a phone, tablet or computer. The tip sheets are PDFs you can print.
How much does it cost?
$29.95, one payment. It is not a subscription.
Can I watch it again?
Yes. The program stays in your AutismWorks library, so you can come back to it any time.
“He is absolutely perfect exactly the way that he is.”
Start the Program — $29.95