The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation (DJFF), the nation’s first not-for-profit organization to exclusively focus on adult autism, has launched a ground-breaking endowment fund at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Health Professions (MUSC-CHP), adding to DJFF’s existing endowed program initiatives at Brown University, Yale University, Rutgers University, Arizona State University, and the University of Miami’s Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD), all focused on areas relating to adult autism.
The MUSC-CHP team with Linda J. Walder and Dr. Ava Jayne Fiddle at the check presentation ceremony on September 11, 2024 in memory of Danny Fiddle’s birthday
With an initial gift of $52,500, The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Adult Autism Post-Professional Doctoral Capstone Project for Direct Care Service Providers has been established at the Medical University of South Carolina College of Health Professions. This endowment will identify The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Direct Care Service Provider Fellow, who will be selected annually by MUSC-CHP from a qualified pool of post-doctorate candidates with expertise in adult autism and a professional interest in advancing the field of direct care service for the diverse population of autistic adults.
The DJFF endowment fund will support the Fellow’s Post-Doctoral Capstone work, with the goal of designing and implementing an impactful project that immediately affects the field of adult autism. The project will define the issues and challenges relating to direct care service for adults with autism and will propose implementable guidelines and solutions to address them.
In alignment with The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation’s mission, the MUSC endowment will provide an opportunity for an experienced professional who has a deep passion for the issues facing adults with autism to create a Doctoral Capstone Project that can immediately be translated into practice.
Founded by Linda J. Walder, a pioneer in the adult autism arena, The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation has blazed trails to develop, fund, and advocate for programs and public policy related to all aspects of adult life, such as jobs, housing, creative expression through the arts, community/social life, health and wellness, and importantly resources and support for the family members of adults. DJFF is named in honor and memory of Linda’s son Danny, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
The DJFF-endowed program funds have opened new doors with the establishment of in perpetuity adult-autism-focused collaborations with the nation’s leading researchers and practitioners at renowned universities. They are addressing the critical issues in adult autism and advancing the creation of new research, vital support systems, and replicable programs benefiting autistic adults.
Linda Walder, Founder and CEO of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, says: “The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation is proud to take the lead in elevating the roles of direct care service providers with this opportunity to attain the professional and academic status of a post-doctoral capstone. The Medical University of South Carolina College of Health Professions has unparalleled expertise to be the home of our sixth adult autism-focused endowment, as the need for qualified direct care providers is a challenging and complex issue for the autism community. It is our hope that this endowment advances the profession of direct care service as a valued career choice for dedicated individuals who wish to work with the adult autism population.”
Dr. Zoher Kapasi, Dean of MUSC College of Health Professions and Linda J Walder, CEO of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation
The first DJFF Direct Care Service Provider Fellow will be named on October 1, 2024. The Fellow will be jointly chosen by The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation and the MUSC -CHP Professor Dr. Michelle L. Woodbury, PhD, OTR/L, through a formal application process.
Dr. Zoher Kapasi, Dean of MUSC College of Health Professions, says: “We are grateful to Linda Walder and The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation for creating this unique opportunity to partner in support of adults diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Their generosity empowers our PPOTD students to change what’s possible with this diverse population by informing evidence-based practice for direct care service providers across disciplines.”
It is estimated that there are currently more than 5.6 million adults living with autism in the U.S.
For more information about The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, visit their website. For more information about MUSC-CHP, visit their website.
Linda J. Walder is the Founder and CEO of The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation for Adult Autism (DJFF). Walder pioneered the focus on adult autism nearly 25 years ago establishing ground-breaking resources and programs nationwide addressing all aspects of adult life. In 2014, Walder created the first adult autism endowment funds in the world at America’s great universities known as The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Adult Autism Endowment Funds that will in-perpetuity address housing, jobs, creative expression, research, community life, support/resources for the families of adults, and importantly the vital roles of direct care service providers for adults. Ms.Walder and the Autism Society of America jointly honor a leader in adult autism annually with The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Leader in Adult Autism Award. For more information, visit www.djfiddlefoundation.org.
