While we will always handle requests for all ages, helping you access needed care, education, and resources, we also push into some very uncomfortable areas related to at-risk adults. Connecting people seeking evaluations, therapists, equipment - that's our foundation. And so you might wonder, if you notice us posting about unexpected disability concepts in courts, jails, or police training - have we gotten off track? Let's explore how this is all connected.
There is constant growth and change in the autism world, on an individual level, and on a societal one. Knowledge has come a long way since the late '90's when the National Institutes of Health first started funding meaningful research showing how the brain with autism works. During decades since we have seen better access to education, jobs, housing, medical specialists, and more understanding in general. This has not solved funding shortages, but if knowledge and understanding are power, when used responsibly by society, autistic people are much better off than they were in the not so distant past.
I've had the opportunity to watch some of my earliest child-clients grow well into adulthood. Their processes have been positive, joyous, heartbreaking, boring, remarkable, surprising and expected - just like life outcomes for nonautistic people! Folks are out at work or play, learning and living in society. And the risks faced by those who may move or sound different, or who could fall prey to people taking advantage of them, are very alarming and occur in patterns that we cannot ignore. Being in the community means one's presence is seen, heard, and felt, which can result in bad outcomes if the neuro-overflows of autism are misunderstood for something criminal. Arrest, jail, and prison can and do result. So we work to prevent bad outcomes in these areas.
Justice For Autism
A blog post from
Lu Randall, Executive Director
Read the rest of Lu's post on our blog HERE