Autism Life Transition Program
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Written by Patricia Weaver on behalf of her son Chris
My name is Chris Weaver and I’m a young adult with autism. Growing up had its share of challenges. I was nonverbal until age 6 and had a 50 word vocabulary until I was 8. At that time my family discovered a special medicine only available at John Hopkins Hospital. Every 6 to 8 weeks we’d make the drive up to John Hopkins and this ended up being a major turning point in my development. Through this medicine and ABA training I was able to build my communication skills which in turn enabled me to participate in a number of special classes.
During my senior year of high school I took part in a job skills training program in a hospital setting which led to an excellent job with a reputable hospital system. The job gave me the opportunity to make friendships with other adults with and without autism. It also provided a way for me to be productive which built my confidence and increased my overall quality of life. I thoroughly enjoyed the environment, work, financial independence and relationships gained.
Unfortunately, the stress of the job and changes in my medication caused some frustration when I had difficulties at work with my computer. I had a small meltdown and was fired on the spot two weeks before Christmas. I wrote and gave numerous apologies but unfortunately was not allowed to return to work. Emotional difficulties like these from simple occurrences are some of the biggest challenges faced by most individuals with autism.
As a result, my mom, who has a background in special education, worked with several other mothers to create the Skills Development Center,
http://www.thesdc.org/
a learning and community center designed specifically for adults with developmental disabilities. For the past 5 years she has led educational and recreational programs for me and my peers, all of whom she treats as family. We learn to work as teams at community organizations like thrift stores and libraries. At the center, we practice cooking healthy meals and participate in various skills training activities. But most importantly, we have a recreation center that gives us a place to interact with peers and make our own decisions.
Even with this wonderful center, there are still many challenges that I, and other adults like myself face. For example, when I use social media I accept every friend request, even when there is risk of danger. In daily life, if someone makes me an offer, it is difficult for me to tell whether they do so in kindness or if they are trying to trick me. At a job, I work hard at my assigned tasks, but it’s difficult for me to keep track of time so I may not notice certain important issues that seem obvious to others.
To address problems like these, my mom has decided to create a new program starting February 2017 that covers 6 key topics; technology, emergencies, time/money management, hygiene, diet and personal safety. These problems are widespread in the autism community and her goal is to get as many of my peers as possible involved by providing scholarships to those who cannot afford tuition.
This 6 week program will be offered on a cycle every 8 weeks and she hopes to maintain the funds to consistently provide scholarships and continuously improve content through student input before, during and after each cycle. We plan to run the program 5 times during 2017 and hope to provide 5 scholarships each cycle for a total of 25 scholarships. Each scholarship costs $300 so our campaign goal is $7,500 which we hope to begin awarding in January 2017.
Your donations are greatly appreciated and go directly towards improving the quality of life and opportunities for a greater number of adults with autism!
Stay tuned to hear more stories of others who benefit from your generosity!
Thank You!
My name is Chris Weaver and I’m a young adult with autism. Growing up had its share of challenges. I was nonverbal until age 6 and had a 50 word vocabulary until I was 8. At that time my family discovered a special medicine only available at John Hopkins Hospital. Every 6 to 8 weeks we’d make the drive up to John Hopkins and this ended up being a major turning point in my development. Through this medicine and ABA training I was able to build my communication skills which in turn enabled me to participate in a number of special classes.
During my senior year of high school I took part in a job skills training program in a hospital setting which led to an excellent job with a reputable hospital system. The job gave me the opportunity to make friendships with other adults with and without autism. It also provided a way for me to be productive which built my confidence and increased my overall quality of life. I thoroughly enjoyed the environment, work, financial independence and relationships gained.
Unfortunately, the stress of the job and changes in my medication caused some frustration when I had difficulties at work with my computer. I had a small meltdown and was fired on the spot two weeks before Christmas. I wrote and gave numerous apologies but unfortunately was not allowed to return to work. Emotional difficulties like these from simple occurrences are some of the biggest challenges faced by most individuals with autism.
As a result, my mom, who has a background in special education, worked with several other mothers to create the Skills Development Center,
http://www.thesdc.org/
a learning and community center designed specifically for adults with developmental disabilities. For the past 5 years she has led educational and recreational programs for me and my peers, all of whom she treats as family. We learn to work as teams at community organizations like thrift stores and libraries. At the center, we practice cooking healthy meals and participate in various skills training activities. But most importantly, we have a recreation center that gives us a place to interact with peers and make our own decisions.
Even with this wonderful center, there are still many challenges that I, and other adults like myself face. For example, when I use social media I accept every friend request, even when there is risk of danger. In daily life, if someone makes me an offer, it is difficult for me to tell whether they do so in kindness or if they are trying to trick me. At a job, I work hard at my assigned tasks, but it’s difficult for me to keep track of time so I may not notice certain important issues that seem obvious to others.
To address problems like these, my mom has decided to create a new program starting February 2017 that covers 6 key topics; technology, emergencies, time/money management, hygiene, diet and personal safety. These problems are widespread in the autism community and her goal is to get as many of my peers as possible involved by providing scholarships to those who cannot afford tuition.
This 6 week program will be offered on a cycle every 8 weeks and she hopes to maintain the funds to consistently provide scholarships and continuously improve content through student input before, during and after each cycle. We plan to run the program 5 times during 2017 and hope to provide 5 scholarships each cycle for a total of 25 scholarships. Each scholarship costs $300 so our campaign goal is $7,500 which we hope to begin awarding in January 2017.
Your donations are greatly appreciated and go directly towards improving the quality of life and opportunities for a greater number of adults with autism!
Stay tuned to hear more stories of others who benefit from your generosity!
Thank You!
Organizer
Patricia Weaver
Organizer
Laurel, VA
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