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A new nonprofit supporting adults with autism opens in Overland Park on Tuesday, Aug. 5, aiming to fill a gap in care that occurs when individuals with autism turn 21.
The Autism Resource Center, located near 87th Street and Interstate 35, focuses on helping adults with autism become more independent and less reliant on their caregivers.
"That's the fear that a lot of parents face is: What are we going to do next? And it becomes, like I said, almost survival,” said Jay Cross, founder of the Autism Resource Center. “At least you had school for them to go to, and then summer programs to go to. There is nothing, and it's only you."
Cross, who has a son with autism, created the center after experiencing firsthand the worry about what would happen when his son turned 21 and school-based support ended.
The center's approach is built around three core pillars: pre-vocational skills, social skills, and health and wellness. Their ultimate goal is to prepare individuals for potential employment in the community.
"We're kind of starting here, meeting them where they're at and giving them some training. And then, eventually, for higher functioning, maybe look at resume development," Cross said.
Every person with autism has different needs, so the resource center employs multiple specialists to provide individualized attention.
"We get those moments every single day where we're just amazed something didn't work the next day. And now ... we're rolling," said Nicole Schroeder, executive director of the Autism Resource Center and board-certified behavior analyst.
The center is opening with a capacity for 48 adults, but it is already planning to expand within its building this year. You can join them for an open house from 8 a.m. to noon on Tuesday.
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