Autism Speaks was founded in February 2005 by Bob and Suzanne Wright, grandparents of a child with autism. Since then, Autism Speaks has grown into the nation’s largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.

This year, Nolting Real Estate, will sponsor Joshua’s Groupies at the Walk Now for Autism.  Autism is a general term used to describe a group of complex developmental brain disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). The other pervasive developmental disorders are PDD-NOS (Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified), Asperger’s Syndrome, Rett Syndrome and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. Many parents and professionals refer to this group as Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Joshua is a family friend who suffers from Autism Spectrum Disorder.  He is a sweet 10-year old who is creative and intelligent.  Joshua’s is a great artist and enthusiastically plays chess, rides bikes, and plays basket ball.  He attends a small Christian school in West St. Louis county and is active in his local church.

By supporting Autism Speaks, we provide funding for continued research about this condition.  In addition, Autism Speaks creates awareness about Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Government statistics suggest the prevalence rate of autism is increasing 10-17 percent annually.

For more information about Autism, Autism Speaks, and Walk Now for Autism, or to contribute, give me a call at 314-267-2636.

James O. Armstrong is President of NowWhatJobs.net, Inc., and Editor of NowWhatJobs.net. He is also the author of “Now What: Discovering Your New Life And Career After 50” and the President of James Armstrong & Associates, Inc.

Today, there is a greater demand for teachers nationwide than there has been in many years. Of course, there is not an equal demand for every teacher in every specialty, but there is a tremendous need for teachers precisely because so many baby boomers are leaving the teaching profession due to retirement. This development, in turn, offers a great opportunity for other men and women, who are also baby boomers, to take those positions from the retiring teachers.

Let me give you an example. A person who came into the picture as a substitute high school math teacher for our then junior in high school the following year joined the staff of Woodstock High School and became a full-time math teacher in her late 50s. I believe this is the type of transition our nation will see happen with greater frequency all across America. 

In the past, my mother also went back to school to finish her Associate of Arts degree in her early 40s. Then, she earned her Bachelor’s degree, received her Master’s degree, and subsequently taught high school photography through the age of 70 at Parkway South High School in St. Louis County, Missouri. 

And while the individual paycheck may not be significant relative to private industry, public sector pensions for teachers are really excellent.  For example, the formula in the State of Missouri for a retired teacher is 80% of your previous income after 30 years of service.  Teachers are paid a salary based upon their education level, with the max pay level probably being a Master’s degree plus 30 hours. 

In my own circle, I have a good friend in St. Louis, who earned a Master’s degree plus 30 hours, and let us estimate that he retired at $60,000 in annual income from his Suburban St. Louis position. His retirement at 30 years would be 80% of that figure. However, since he actually worked 33 years, the percentage on the retirement formula was 88%.  So, by taking 88% of $60,000, my friend made approximately $52,800 per year, which began at age 55.

Please bear in mind that teachers throughout our nation do NOT qualify for Social Security. So this becomes both a substitute for Social Security and a private pension added together.

But, if someone goes back to school and they qualify to become a teacher in their 40s, they could still work for the next 20 or 25 years. In other words, taking my mother’s case as an example, age 45 + 25 years = age 70. 

The school districts, in turn, want good teachers, so they may continue to extend that teacher’s contract even beyond the normal retirement point, if it’s appropriate in a unique circumstance. 

Continuing adult education instructor
One of my best friends from St. Louis retired as a public school teacher in mathematics after a 33 year career in a suburban high school.  But, his real love has always been music over the years.  So each week, he takes a one hour lesson on the mandolin and a one hour lesson on the guitar. 

Then, at the local junior college during both the fall and spring semesters, he teaches a class on guitar.  He said he doesn’t make much money doing it, but it’s very gratifying to him on an emotional level.

Ministry
Individual men and women may also feel the call to ministry later in life.  That scenario pertained to my own father and my wife. My father went to seminary and graduated in his mid 40s and went on to a longer term career in the ministry.  My book, “Now What?  Discovering Your New Life and Career After 50,” contains 19 profiles, one of which is of my 85 year old father.  My Dad is literally the senior associate pastor — senior meaning oldest — on the staff of St. Louis Family Church, which is perhaps the largest Protestant church in the Greater St. Louis area. 

Ministry today is actually a common career track for men and women, as we get older. This happens with Catholic priests, it happens in the Protestant clergy and it happens in the Jewish clergy as well. My wife is also an ordained pastor, who is a full-time minister in charge of Fresh Harvest Church in Woodstock, Illinois and who is also the point person for Fresh Harvest Ministries. She is also involved with a ministry organization, which has a call to our nation and is located in Washington D.C.

Fitness trainer
I am also a member of the McHenry County College Fitness Center, which has every kind of conceivable exercise machine you can imagine from rowing machines to stationary bicycles to treadmills to a cross country ski apparatus, as well as all sorts of different weight-related machines. MCC’s Fitness Center employs fitness coaches, who have degrees, and these trainers come in all different ages. The oldest one, who once served as a coach for one of the Olympic teams, is today in his 70s. But, he still works on a part-time basis at McHenry County College in the fitness center. 

I believe fitness should be one part of the transition we pursue, as we get older.  In fact, many of the people in my exercise group, who work out three to five days per week at the same time in the early morning, when I use the facility, are actually in their late 60s, 70s or even 80s. The name of this group is “the Wild Bunch,” where I am perhaps the youngest person in the group.

Of course, it is always good to be “the youngest,” no matter how the group is defined.

James O. Armstrong is President of NowWhatJobs.net, Inc., and Editor of NowWhatJobs.net. He is also the author of “Now What: Discovering Your New Life And Career After 50” and the President of James Armstrong & Associates, Inc.

There are critical shortages of these men and women all over the United States in medical practices and hospitals everywhere. Therefore, healthcare options provide one of the fastest growing professional fields for Baby Boomers and Active Seniors. Let’s look at healthcare careers that you can pursue right now.

Healthcare administration worker

There are unlimited possibilities because the hospitals nationally are all adding “new wings,” particularly for cancer and cancer research, heart surgery and other specialties, which different hospitals pursue.

Information Technology knowledge will increasingly be required in most of these positions. It’s no longer someone laboriously keeping records by hand anymore, but it’s an individual entering the information into a computer at a reception desk, for example. Today’s medical community is increasingly moving toward a paperless trail of information. Companies such as Kansas City’s Cerner, which is a New York Stock Exchange company where my son Jim works, are very much on the cutting edge of this type of development.

Nurse practitioner

This is going to be a growing field in the future. Walgreens and one of the other major pharmaceutical chains have now established urgent care facilities owned by their respective firms, which feature a nurse practitioner for more routine procedures.

In the future, a growing number of these clinics will open to treat patients, who may or may not have healthcare insurance, or whose doctor’s office may not be open that day.

Geriatric care manager

It’s a growing field. Men and women have all different levels of education and experience leading into these positions. There are even temporary employment agencies that send people out on assignments, which may take place every day, a few days each week or a certain number of hours per day for three days each week, depending on a given family’s needs.

Hospital worker

The good news about hospitals is this: the current AARP list of top employers for men and women over age 50 includes hospitals throughout the U.S. In fact, two of those hospitals have significant facilities in my home county of McHenry County, Illinois. One is Centegra Health System and the other is Mercy Medical, which is based in Southern Wisconsin, but they also have a significant presence in northwest Illinois.

Nurse and nursing assistant

My sister, Tanis Caras, who is 59 years old, has been a nurse and a nurse supervisor, principally in ICU, for many years. In the ICU ward, my sister typically worked three days each week for 12 hours per shift. However, she was literally able to take off four days each week. But, on those days when she was working, she really worked long hours. Please bear in mind that people she monitored were men and women in life and death situations in the Intensive Care Unit of her hospital.

The American Nurses Association, which is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, estimates the future shortfall for Registered Nurses will be 800,000. But, there is already a shortfall of nurses all over America. This analysis also does not include the LPN category of nurses.

So the overall category of nurses in our society, especially as Baby Boomers continue to age, will exceed a one million nurse shortfall in our society in the future, which makes this a really critical issue in our society. Fortunately, there are men and women who have been previously trained as nurses, especially women who may have left the profession to raise a family, for example. The nursing profession today is reaching out to these women to encourage them to come back to their nursing career later in life.

Nurse educator

In order to address the increased demand for nurses, there is also today a crying need for nurse educators, who are willing to go back to school to earn a Master’s degree or PhD so that they can be qualified to teach in a nursing school or at a college level.

Medical technologist and hospital worker

These men and women do all sorts of testing, CT scans and various things having to do with specialized practices in medicine or as workers in a hospital.

Dental hygienist

This professional also receives high pay in a dental office. Typically, this individual is a woman, who works as an independent contractor for a dental office or several dental practices.

This high demand individual has typically pursued a two year curriculum at a local junior college. But, the sky is the limit in terms of where that woman will wind up working. Most often, she will be able to choose a dental office or offices close to her home. Finally, these women normally do not work every single day, but rather they pursue their skill three or four days each week.

For more information, please view your home guide St. Louis