Support the autism community! Like every other teen and young adult, youth with autism or ASD need and want jobs, a social life and affordable and inclusive housing.
Offer a job. If you have a position available contact your local Autism support agency, odds are they offer job placement services and even support staff to help with training on-site. Why hire someone with autism or who is neurodivergent? Entrepreneur has nine reasons why that hire is not only good for you, but for all of us. Hiring from a local autism job program will give you a reliable, dependable employee, while boosting your good will and bottom line.
But a job is only half of the picture.
Adults with autism and those with intellectual disabilities need your voice in support of affordable and inclusive housing.
Today, more than half of adults with ASD live in their family home, but what happens when their parents or caregivers grow too old to maintain the house, or they pass on? What about the adults with autism who want to live independently? A Place in the World, a comprehensive report on housing solutions for people with autism and Intellectual Disabilities, reveals that the odds are stacked against them finding adequate housing.
People with disabilities experience poverty at twice the rate of people who do not have disabilities. While many can live independently, some prefer to live in a group setting and others may require accommodations or supportive services to live on their own.
Is your neighborhood welcoming? Did you know that supportive or group housing development can add stability to a neighborhood as they are more likely to become permanent residents? That new construction adds value to neighboring properties. That supportive or independent housing not only increases a resident’s job opportunities, it can lower their medical and other social services costs. Learn more about the impact of affordable supportive housing to become an advocate for autism independence HERE.
