Breaking Free: The 8 Simple Steps To An Independent & Thriving Life

About This Course

"I want to become independent and live my own life without my parents, but whenever I think about it I get stuck and don't know how to proceed. Why can't my parents just leave me alone and let me figure it out?"

If you struggle with gaining the skills, capacity & money you need to become independent, while at the same time trying to survive the crushing stress, guilt & shame of daily life... this course is for you. We'll take you by the hand and give you a comprehensive, step-by-step plan that shows you exactly how to break free & become independent while, at the same time reducing your daily stress, based on our own experiences of living with Asperger's & our almost decade worth of professional knowledge & perspective from working with thousands of young adults in similar situations.

At the end of our time together, you'll not only have a solid plan, but you'll know the exact steps to finally achieve independence... and have fun doing it. So if you are ready to finally make progress and get unstuck, you've come to the right place.

This course is a hybrid live & recorded, 8 part course, designed for teenagers and young adults on the autistic spectrum (diagnosed or not). Each week, starting as soon as you enroll, you'll get a recorded lesson & discussion, that covers both the high level strategy & theory, as well as nuts & bolts examples & situations so that you know exactly what to do and how to do it. Feel free to go through the lesson at your own pace, you have access to it for life.

Then, every Monday at 2:00 PM Pacific Time (5:00 PM Eastern Time) and every Wednesday at 5 PM Pacific Time (8:00 PM Eastern Time) for 8 weeks, you'll have the opportunity to participate in a live Q&A phone session with your fellow students and the AE Staff. This is your chance to get clarification, help with your specific challenges and learn from others. We'll send out the recording to those calls once they are completed.

Includes Group Phone Consults Twice Weekly

For 8 weeks after you purchase the course, you'll get access to our twice weekly question and answer consultation sessions with the AE Staff. This is your chance to get clarification, help with your specific challenges and learn from others. We'll send out the recording to those calls once they are completed.

These calls happen every Monday at 2:00 PM Pacific Time (5:00 PM Eastern Time) and every Wednesday at 5 PM Pacific Time (8:00 PM Eastern Time)

About Asperger Experts

The people at Asperger Experts, who created this course, are the world's largest organization by & for individuals & families on the Autism spectrum. Every day they help thousands of families, teens, young adults & professionals navigate the complex world of Asperger's & Autism with real, first-person accounts & advice from people who've actually lived it and are diagnosed with Asperger's themselves.

In This Course, You'll Learn About...

How To Get Jobs & Volunteer Gigs

The easiest way to get hired for jobs & volunteer opportunities in areas you are already interested in.

Advanced Stress Reduction Tools

Tools and strategies to immediately reduce your stress and feel better now.

Reducing Blind Spots

Ways to see the next step, get unstuck and improve your relationship with others.

The Independence Ladder

The 5 steps that bring you toward independence (that have to be done in the right order or they won't work).

Who Is This Class For?

Great For...

Young Adults

Teenagers who want to be prepared to become independent

Not So Great For...

Parents & Caregivers (Take our "Accountability Plan" class instead)

People who aren't willing to examine their own habits & beliefs

Class Curriculum

Part 1: Understanding The Independence Ladder

"I tried to become independent, but its overwhelming and I don't know where to start."

If you don't follow the steps of the independence ladder in the right order, the right sequence and the right scale, you'll remain stuck. So this first part focuses on the specific order and specific steps to follow. Think of it as a big picture overview.

Topics Include:

The Right Order

If you don't climb the independence ladder in the right order, you won't get anywhere.

Emotional Resource Theory

Understanding the 5 key resources you need in order to become independent is essential to getting unstuck & making progress.

Patterns & Recipes

We can't tell you specifically what to do because we don't know your context, but we CAN give you patterns & recipes that you can adapt to your specific situation.

Part 2: The Physiology of Defense Mode

"I feel like there's something broken or wrong with me."

There's a big difference between a disease (like cancer), and a disorder (like Asperger's) and understanding that difference is key to our later steps, so that's our focus this part.

Topics Include:

Moral Failing or Low Tone?

How do you determine the difference between a moral failing and a biological inefficiency?

Physiological Markers of Defense Mode

How do you know when you are in Defense Mode, and what do you do about it once you know?

More Than The Thoughts You Think

Limiting beliefs & thoughts aren't the only things that keep you stuck...

Part 3: The Science of Stress Reduction

"I'm really stressed and nothing seems to work"

If you don't understand the science of stress, it's very hard to relax, unwind and know to find a peaceful place within. So in this part, we're talking about the science of stress & relaxation.

Topics Include:

Practice... and Rest

The scientific importance of resting & relaxing in a very specific way.

3 Ways To Care For Yourself

What are the 3 best ways to relax, do self care and actively calm down your nervous system?

The Difference Between Rest & Recreation

There's a BIG difference between recreational activities and relaxation activities, and if you don't know that difference you will end up stressed out, but thinking you are relaxed. Which means you'll stay stuck.

Part 4: Advanced Self Care Tools

"I'd like to learn proven, tested tools to reduce my stress that I can use whenever, wherever."

This is the part where we'll teach you advanced tools for relaxation and nervous system regulation, so that you can feel better and not be so stressed.

Topics Include:

Tools & Strategies

Specific tools, strategies & methods to relax and allow your nervous system to settle... so you aren't wound up and stressed 24/7.

Specific Examples

Examples and methods to show you what doing proper self care & relaxation looks like.

Step-By-Step How To's

Specific, step by step guidance for relaxation & self care using a variety of methods.

Part 5: The Ability To See

"I don't know what to do next, and I can't figure out what the problem is"

This part is all finding, building and cultivating a greater perspective on the stuck points in your life through seeking more contrast.

Topics Include:

Intentionally Gaining Contrast

5 specific ways to gain contrast, increase your perspective and know what to do next.

The Importance of Perspective

Why is gaining perspective important anyway?

How To Measure

If you aren't measuring the right thing, you won't know if you are making progress toward your goal.

Part 6: The Stories You Tell Yourself

"I don't think I am capable enough"

The stories you tell about your capacity (what you can handle) and causality (what happened in the past and why) are one of the strongest influencers on your future, so this part is all about examining & changing those stories (when appropriate).

Topics Include:

Where Do Our Stories Come From?

Where does your self identity and the stories that you tell about what you can and cannot do come from?

Whats The Difference Between A Story & A Fact?

How do you tell the difference between a story (something that you can't prove) and a fact (something that you can prove)?

How To Change Your Mind About Yourself (If You Want To)

What are the steps needed to change your mind about yourself?

Part 7: Loops of Competence

"I don't feel like I am valued in the world"

This part focuses on the specific steps needed in order to feel more confident, competent and capable in the world so that you can make money and contribute to others.

Topics Include:

Finding Jobs & Volunteer Opportunities

How do you easily find jobs & volunteer opportunities that align with your current interests?

Why Not Seeing Your Value Is A Good Thing

Here's why its totally ok to not see the value in yourself.

Creating Competence Loops

How to create a specific type of feedback loop that makes it effortless to gain self esteem and belief in yourself.

Part 8: "Yeah, but..." and "What if?"

"I'm stuck again, help!"

Look, new problems and new challenges are inevitable. So this final part is all about how to resolve new issues as they present themselves, and knowing when to pivot and when to put your head down and stay on the same path. This is also our "catch-all" section for anything that we did not cover previously, and questions that were raised during the course that need a bit more time to answer.

Topics Include:

Troubleshooting & Problem Solving

What do you do when the process isn't working? (And how do you tweak it so that it does?)

Different Tools For Different Jobs

How do you identify which tool you need to solve which type of problem?

Building Healthy Habits

How do you do what you know you need to in order to build and maintain healthy habits?

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the course start?

The main course is on demand, and you'll get access for life as soon as you enroll. Q&A happens twice weekly, every Monday at 2:00 PM Pacific Time (5:00 PM Eastern Time) and every Wednesday at 5 PM Pacific Time (8:00 PM Eastern Time), and the recordings will be sent to you after.

What devices does the course work on?

We support all modern devices that can access the internet. So that's things like laptops, desktops, iPads & other tablets, smartphones, etc.

You are also welcome to download our free app from your App Store to access your courses and participate in community discussions. Just search "Asperger Experts".

Can I access the class on more than 1 device?

Absolutely. You can login to your account and access the class from any modern device (computer, laptop, tablet, smartphone, etc). You'll have lifetime access to the course materials.

Is this course for me or my children?

This class is designed for young adults & teenagers. If you want your parent to attend, they are welcome to, but they may also be interested in our co-occurring class specific for them, called "The Accountability Plan: How To Hold Someone With Asperger's Accountable... without enabling, excuses or walking on eggshells".

What happens if I can't make the Q&A calls?

No problem! Just comment below a course lesson or email us at [email protected]. As a reminder, Q&A calls happen every Monday at 2:00 PM Pacific Time (5:00 PM Eastern Time) and every Wednesday at 5 PM Pacific Time (8:00 PM Eastern Time), and the recordings will be sent to you after.