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Community Living in the Era of COVID-19
As we cope with the disruption of this pandemic, many of us are wondering what our new normal will look like on the other side. Before COVID-19, many people with disabilities went to day programs or had individualized 1:1 staff supporting them at work or in activities in the community. Now, because...
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A COVID-19-Inspired Housing Solution for Our Autistic Daughter
For many years I’ve been thinking about how and where our daughter Samantha (now 30) could live independently. She doesn’t belong - nor does she want to be - in a group living situation and she is not yet ready to live on her own. After surviving 5 years of roommates at Landmark College and...
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Perspectives From Two Adults Living Independently in the Chapel Haven Community
Brave, Bold Kimber By Kimber Marchesi Kimber Marchesi came to Chapel Haven Schleifer Center from her hometown of Darien, CT in 2013. She learned how to live independently while enrolled residentially in Chapel Haven’s REACH program, graduated and now lives in her own apartment in the community,...
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Tenants Celebrate Two Years of Independent Living in New Residential Model for AHRC New York City
When AHRC New York City asked different departments to identify perspective tenants with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD) for 12 new Bronx apartments, it was uncertain about what to expect. But what is abundantly clear after two years is that a partnership among AHRC...
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Community Engagement Through Integrated Community Living Options for Adults with Autism
With the increasing prevalence of autism documented in children over the past two decades, there is growing alarm about what will be needed for these children as they grow into adulthood (Anderson & Butt, 2018). Indeed, there are adults living with autism right now with unmet needs due to...
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Supportive and Community Housing – Find Your Forever Home
It’s that time of the year where parents are shipping their kids off to school. From toddlers who have finally reached school age to young adults taking that next step into adulthood, this season is filled with many new adventures. Many young adults will be leaving home this fall for college and...
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Supporting Older Adults with Autism
Autism is a lifelong diagnosis, and as adults with autism age, many of the medical, physical, and mental changes they face are similar to those of typically aging adults. As adults with autism get older, it is extremely important for family members and/or professionals working with these...
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Housing for Adults with Autism: A Growing Crisis
This article will discuss the need for appropriate housing for adults with Autism. New and emerging programs will be explored. In full disclosure, this writer is the president and founder of Indie Living, Inc., a housing program currently in the early stages of development in New York. Over the...
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A Responsive, New Wave of Real Estate Options for Adults with Autism and for Special Populations
Exciting new models for supportive housing are emerging, changing the landscape and raising the bar on dreams and expectations for the neurodiverse population. Far too many young adults are graduating from high school to the couch. They are socially isolated, unemployed or underemployed, and...
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Leaving the Family Home: Opportunities and Obstacles for Autistic Adults
When we think about the future of individuals on the autism spectrum, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Who will help them create their weekly schedule? Where will they work? How will they connect with friends? Who will assume the daily support role once parents can no longer provide...
