PERSONAL NARRATIVE
and, in the end, you get a yummy reward. It was very
satisfying work for him.
Being a chef would have been impossible for my son.
He wasn’t verbal enough to make it through an in-
terview. If a restaurant would take a chance on him,
he’d be relegated to the dishwasher. He has an in-
credible palate and, like most people on the spec-
trum, amazing attention to detail, and process skills.
A dishwashing position would be a waste of his po-
tential and most likely a disaster.
To live the life you want, to enjoy your work, and to
feel validated is important for everyone—especial-
ly for someone with special needs. Work must be
enjoyable. Otherwise, it’s another tedious task in a
world that doesn’t always make sense. So, with a lot
of hope and hustle, we decided to make his dream
of being a chef a reality and give other people’s chil-
dren opportunities for meaningful work as well. Our
employees produce high-quality gluten- and dairy-
free baked goods. The company has grown from four
employees on the spectrum to 13. We are a scalable
social enterprise. All our employees earn a wage.
Their work is of the same value as their non-disabled
peers. Our shop opened in Carmel, Indiana, in 2017.
Not everyone can become an entrepreneur. But
there are some things I did to help my son become
the man he was meant to be. Start identifying your
child’s passion early. It may not be a traditional career.
It may simply be a compulsion to complete tasks. We
also enrolled him in an online public charter school
powered by K12. It afforded us the flexibility to try
different things. When we removed him from the tra-
ditional brick-and-mortar school setting, he thrived.
He needed an anxiety-free zone. K12 lets us identify
his best learning style and space. This also empow-
ered him to become successful as an adult.
All parents want their children to grow to be happy,
fulfilled people. As a parent of someone with special
needs, you should expect no less. Everyone wants to
do something interesting. Everyone wants to feel like
they are doing something useful. Everyone wants to
feel like their work is needed, that need gives one a
feeling that they are important. Work adds to one’s
self-worth. You don’t have to open a business but
start early identifying what your child finds reinforc-
ing and where he/she thrives. You’ll find his/her place
because your greatest role is being your child’s most
vocal and enthusiastic supporter.
Shelly Henley is the owner of No Label at the Table,
a gluten-free and dairy-free baked goods company,
and a parent of an adult child with autism. No Label
at the Table’s goal is to function as a successful bak-
ery with a certified gluten-free kitchen that provides
employment opportunities and job skills training for
people with autism.
Website: nolabelatthetable.com
Autism Parenting Magazine | Issue 74 |
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