The Inspiration for Everything Autism

Unlike other parents, parents of kids with autism have to plan to care for their children for the rest of their children’s adult lives.

Access to programs and services for people with intellectual disabilities can make a huge difference in quality of life: our own, our children’s, and in the lives of siblings and relatives charged with caring for them after we are gone.

The decisions we make now—where and how we choose to live and work, for example—are often influenced by the availability of affordable services and long-term supports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities close to home. Before moving into an area, parents of a child with an intellectual disability take into consideration things like:

• what resources and services are available through public schools and community colleges
• the availability of after school care for kids with special needs
• the availability of viable, reliable transportation options (because as adults, most will not be able to drive)
• opportunities for vocational training and employment
• recreational opportunities for intellectually disabled children and adults
• the active presence of nonprofits such as the Arc, which serve people of all ages with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• adult day habs and group homes in the area

There are many resource guides out there for people with autism. However, resource guides are only useful if they are very local, since what parents need most are resources designed to be accessed frequently (vs. a camp which offers respite one weekend a year). That is the rational behind a resource guide just for the Clear Lake area. But providing access to information is not enough: we need more resources. Because we love our children and care, we are compelled to try to build a brighter future for them.

This was the inspiration behind www.EverythingAutism.org. Not to be merely a parent support group or resource guide, but to try to make a meaningful difference the Clear Lake area. To create not just a community resource, but a resource community.

Our resource guide is not merely a compilation of business names and contacts. Ours allows parents to submit reviews, as well as contribute new listings; our forum is open to new topics and commentators; our calendar is open to everyone who wants to post an event.

We hope others will be interested in contributing to the site and helping Everything Autism grow.

Please contact me if you would like to make the Clear Lake area a better place for people on the autism spectrum.

Sincerely,

Emily Nedell Tuck

Organizer