This guest blog post kicks off a new series written by my friend and colleague – Dr. Dan E. Burns. Dan’s series will address many of the challenges faced by families with adult children living with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In this first post, Dan breaks down and describes many of the ways families can go about “Funding Autism for Life” with pertinent suggestions and ideas for parents with younger children as well. I know you’re going to learn a lot and enjoy Dan’s guest series. Please help me welcome Dan!
Funding Autism for Life: A Map to Treasure Island
By Dan E. Burns
“It’s autism. There is no medical treatment. Let the schools take care of him and save your money for his institutionalization when he turns 21.” Those were the final, chilling words Ben’s pediatric neurologist spoke to me on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1990. Ben was three years, four months old.
I declared war. With an ABA manual in one hand and biomedical primer in the other, I fought for Ben’s future. But as the months and years went by and the hope for a full recovery dimmed, I had to admit that his pediatrician was right. Where would Ben live, work, and find friends after the school bus stopped coming?

Yesterday, one of AutismSpot’s own Featured Bloggers, Psychologist Dr. Robert Naseef, flew through DFW after spending the weekend leading a conference for parents in El Paso. AutismSpot’s visionary Kent Potter took this opportunity to turn Dr. Naseef’s layover into some on-camera time with Dr. Naseef. I was fortunate enough to participate.
Dr. Naseef not only works with families raising children with ASD in the Philidelphia area, he also has an adult son with Autism. I heard Dr. Naseef speak last summer when he hosted a Father’s Panel at the annual conference hosted by the Autism Society. Dr. Naseef is very knowledgeable and forthcoming about what life is like for our families and ways to handle stress and make life better.

For more information on housing solutions for individuals with autism, go to www.myarchway.org
Also, join ARCHway at www.myarchway.ning.com
George Braddock is the founder of Creative Housing Solutions www.gbcchs.com a leading housing consultant and general contractor with a 25 year proven track record in pioneering the implementation of person-centered planning principles to more than 1,500 projects and homes for people with autism and other disabilities. He is also an ARCHway Consortium member.

For those interested in exploring quality of life issues fully, go to our website at www.myarchway.org and Join ARCHway. Also go to our social networking site at www.myarchway.ning.com
Below, a parent of a teenager with autism gives a very detailed and excellant description in simple, every day terms of quality of life factors that contribute to a very good life for people on the autism spectrum.

Visit out website at www.myarchway.org

To learn other ways you can reduce your stress levels and prepare you better for parenting loved ones with autism throughout the lifespan, go to www.myarchway.org

Here we provide a description of the types of of group homes, supportive living, supervised living, farmstead programs, community living options, family teaching model, cooperatives, shared housing and other residential models. For a state by state listing of group homes and residential service providers, go to www.myarchway.org and to talk with other parents who want to discuss this topic, go to www.myarchway.ning.com

To learn about other ways parents of children with autism can deal with stress by becoming better educated and equipped to deal with any number of autism topics, go to www.myarchway.org
1.Contact a counselor that deals with stress if needed.
2. Contact an appropriate special needs advocacy/support organization.
3. Access babysitters, after school programs, camps or respite care. (find out what your county and state developmental disability agencies offer)
4. Spend time alone with spouse. Find some space for this!

Help for Autism: A Good Quality of Life for People with Autism
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To find out more about how you can improve the quality of life for adults with autism, go to www.myarchway.org

People with autism, service providers or parents of individuals with autism who are wishing to undertake lifespan planning and planning for housing needs of their transitioning teens or adults with autism may contact ARCHway at www.myarchway.org or join or www.myarchway.ning.com where you can join our social networking site to stay in close contact with us.