Comments on: A Plan, A Farm, A Home

By: Kristina Chew, PhD

Kristina Chew, PhD — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 01:29:57 +0000

@Roger,

thanks for pointing all that out—-as for “being very picky about the people they let in,” we’ve encountered some of this time and again in regard to Charlie. Not enough language—-too many challenging behaviors—academic stills not at the “right level”—–leading to exclusion from programs and activities that are supposed to be for him.

By: Roger

Roger — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 21:37:02 +0000

Yeah,that’s nice and all,but if this is anything like the places I have contacted,they are likely to be very picky about the people they let in.You have to be fairly high functioning,and you have to be able to work.

Meaning this,and most other group homes,will most likely only not let in an adult who is either lower functioning, or has serious medical conditions in addition to autism.Sometimes this can be something as simple as epilepsy,with grand mal seizures,that is not controlled by medication.But certainly it would include those who have conditions as serious as mitochondrial disease,or Fragile X,where autism is only one aspect of a far more complicated syndrome.

The investors wouldn’t like too many high risk people living under one roof.Insurance and all that.We have to run these things like a business, and put up the illusion we care about the disabled.

Note also how this article also perpetuates the myth,that autistic adults are somehow a new phenomenon.

By: Jen

Jen — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 09:54:43 +0000

That sounds like a fantastic plan- I hope that they can put it together. One of the nicest residential facilities that I’ve ever been in was a very large house (with attached school) out in the country. They used their property extensively to do things like teach the boys how to garden (they grew all of their own vegetables). It was quite a place, and I’d love to see more of them.

By: bonnie

bonnie — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 02:58:38 +0000

I can only hope these sorts of places will be the norm someday!