We are not Autism's Lost Generation

Articles and news reports about autism often lay out a bleak future for individuals once they graduate from special-needs school. However, adults with autism can continue to learn new skills, make progress through experience and achieve success in many areas of their lives.

Meet four Marbridge residents that prove their lives are anything but lost.

Todd—Chosen from Hundreds of Job Seekers

Todd accomplishes an ordered list of tasks in cleaning each room assigned to him. Here, Heidi Brazil, Hilton's director of housekeeping, looks in on his progress.

In the days leading up to the grand opening of the Hilton Hotel in downtown Austin, Heidi Brazil spent hour upon hour interviewing candidates for housekeeping positions. Many had never worked in the industry. Most did not speak English. After so many interviews, Brazil was surprised when Todd Griffith took the chair opposite hers. He had experience in the resort and spa industry, having worked several years for a country club. Brazil was impressed with the patience he demonstrated in waiting his turn.

"I felt like he had already exhibited the ability to manage employment," said Brazil. So she decided to take the next step and call his references. "I was surprised," she recalls. "I was concerned about his ability to remember procedures, but they told me, 'Once Todd learns a process, it's like concrete—he never forgets.'"

Brazil decided to take a chance and hire Todd as a housekeeper. That was in 2003. Over the years, he has learned his job well, and Todd has helped Brazil realize that people with autism can be productive employees if you're willing to make minor adjustments in training procedures and work duties to fit their capabilities.

"We have found that Todd works best in rooms that have been vacated, because he doesn't need to interact with people," said Brazil. "Todd is one of our check-out room specialists." Other than assigning Todd the check-out rooms, Brazil said he is expected to perform to the same standards as other employees. "You have to be very productive in this job," said Brazil. "Todd has a great attitude. He's never tardy. He also understands the safety policies better than anyone in the department. And Todd is methodical about his work. He understands the difference his work makes in the hospitality industry. He takes pride in his work and he cares."

Daniel—A Life and a Place of My Own

Daniel achieved a major life goal in October 2010. He moved into his own apartment. It was the culmination of an effort that began in January 2007, when he moved to Marbridge. For the first six weeks, Daniel lived in a dormitory in The Ranch, one of three communities on the Marbridge campus. Here he learned to do his own laundry and clean his room. After mastering those skills, Daniel moved to the semi-independent cottages in The Village area of the Marbridge campus. He began taking Job Skills training and also took a job in the dormitory kitchen.

"Daniel did such a great job his first year at Marbridge that he was selected to be part of the first Project SEARCH intern class," said Jana Kay, director of training and education at Marbridge.

Project SEARCH is a nine-month, professional internship between Marbridge and Seton Medical Center Austin. Each year, six resident interns receive on-the-job training that rotates them through different departments of the hospital. Daniel became the first Project SEARCH graduate hired by Seton.

Now his days begin early. He arrives at his job at 7:15am Monday through Friday. He dons a clean suit and enters a sterile area where he will inspect surgical instruments to make sure they have been thoroughly sterilized before carefully arranging them for surgery. Different surgeries require the instruments to be laid out in different orders. It's an exacting job, one that Daniel has performed successfully for three years.

After work, Daniel enjoys relaxing at home. He makes dinner, plays the Wii, visits nearby bookstores and often walks in a park close to home. He knows his neighbors and their dogs, and getting a dog of his own is one of Daniel's future goals. On Tuesdays, Daniel takes the bus back to Marbridge where he participates in cooking classes to hone his independent living skills. An attendant from Marbridge drops by once a week to help him work on his money management skills and other independent living skills.

All in all, Daniel is well on his way to learning how to live on his own, in his own place, and establish his own life. Like most young people trying to spread their wings, Daniel is proud of his accomplishments and his newly established independence. Does he have any words of advice for others wanting to do the same thing? "Apply yourself," he said. "If I can do it, anybody can."

Abby—Success through structure and motivation

Abby fits the profile of an adult on the autism spectrum that "fell off the cliff" after graduating from high school. Everyone else in the family had places to go and things to do during the day. She had nothing. Depression and anxiety set in and she began to eat.

"Abby lacks an interior, self-governing mechanism," said her mother, Donna MacKinney. "So it needs to be provided by her environment, and that was very hard after she got out of school."

When her lack of judgment led to a car ride with people she barely knew, Abby's parents realized something had to change. In 2005, when she was 25 years old, Abby moved to The Village at Marbridge.

"The major difference now is her days are busy. She has a place to go and something to do when she gets there," said her mother. This semester Abby is enrolled in cardio training, Skills for Life, job skills training, horticulture therapy, art and gardening. But Abby's most favorite training class of all is Equine Therapy & Riding, where she is a member of the Special Olympics equestrian team and drill team.

"The equestrian program has been especially beneficial because she has bonded with the horses emotionally, even to be able to articulate their personal histories much as one speaks of another person with empathy," said MacKinney. Her mother considers the insights Abby has gained through understanding the horse's behavior to be the greatest benefit of equine therapy.

Yet there is another benefit—equine therapy has proven to be the first effective motivator to convince Abby to control her weight.

"After trying several incentives, we finally hit upon her love of riding to get her buy-in," said Jana Kay, director of training and education. "At the time, Abby weighed 240 pounds. Shonda Corn, the equine coordinator told her it was unsafe for her and the horse to participate in the trotting class." Abby was told she needed to get her weight below 195 to begin trotting again. She took the challenge to heart.

To help, her mother provided a Nike+iPod, which combines a phone application with a sensor worn on her shoe. An electronic voice speaks to Abby during her walks. "100 calories burned. 50 calories to go." It encourages Abby to stick to the walking program—something that had proven difficult in the past.

"The weight loss doubled," said her mother. Over the past 10 months, Abby has trimmed 29 pounds and is well on her way to reach her goal weight.

"The weight loss is already showing benefits. Abby did an amazing job at the Gold Stirrup Horse Show in the walking class competition in March. She brought home a lot of awards," said Kay. "Abby has now set another goal. Once she reaches 195, she wants to set a new goal of 175. She feels better about herself."

Jason—He did it!

At the Miracles at Marbridge luncheon last October, guests learned about Marbridge from the chairman of the board of directors, the president, key volunteers and parents. But the presentation that wowed them the most was Jason Miller's reading of the poem, "It Couldn't Be Done" by Edgar A. Guest.

Over his lifetime, many thought Jason would not be able to work, participate in sports, make friends or enjoy hobbies. Jason struggled with behavioral outbursts. But as he settled in to his structured routine of training at Marbridge in 2007, he began to make genuine progress in controlling his behavior. By the fall of 2008, Jason qualified for an internship position with Project SEARCH, the professional internship program between Marbridge and Seton Medical Center Austin (SMCA). The hospital hired him soon after graduation.

"It is Jason's responsibility to make sure neonatal test results are sent to physicians in a timely manner. He is the only person responsible for this particular task at our hospital, and he has enabled us to meet this regulatory obligation within mere days and stay well within the State's requirements," said Alastair Dunnett, senior laboratory director for the Seton Family of Hospitals.

Jason works four hours a day, Monday through Thursday. Dunnett said he has missed only two days in the two years he has been employed.

"He shows up and goes right to work. He's very civil and polite," said Dunnett. "People know he's not a big talker, but people can also tell he is genuinely excited and happy to be here. That's nice to see."

Back home at Marbridge, Jason has blossomed in terms of activities and interests.

"Jason is very active on campus," said Jana Kay, director of training and education for Marbridge. "He loves art, does tons of activities and plays sports. He really has an amazing life."

The final lines of "It Couldn't Be Done" echoed through the ballroom as Jason read them—a true-to-life testimony of his own experiences.

"Just start to sing as you tackle the thing that couldn't be done, and you'll do it!"