Salt Lake City, UT, April 17, 2021 --(PR.com)-- During the National Autism Awareness month of April, Madison House Autism Foundation (MHAF) is kicking off a three-year pilot program to comprehensively work across sectors in a unified statewide yet localized plan to address the needs of Utah’s adult autistic population and their families.
Nationally, there are more than 6.5M adults with autism. With family members, that number becomes 30 million people impacted by Autism Spectrum Disorder.
“Adults with autism have much to contribute but their needs are too often unknown or overlooked,” explains JaLynn Prince, co-founder of MHAF and mother of 31-year-old Madison on the autism spectrum. “This lack of awareness comes at great personal and economic cost. Working together, every community can become an inclusive community. Every adult with autism must find their place in our world. Utah, with its entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to families, and ingenuity is the ideal place to develop a blueprint that can be shared with every state.”
In 2009, Utahns Greg and JaLynn Prince founded the Maryland-based MHAF to drive national change and policy-making to support adults with autism - a population receiving no meaningful help from the community or state. MHAF initiated Autism After 21™ Day - a growing movement that champions the expansion of attention, care and support that serves to maximize the wellbeing of those with autism throughout their lifespan. MHAF created the Autism Housing Network, the only online platform connecting families and providers, and recently co-authored a groundbreaking report, “A Place in the World.”
“There is a lot of support for children with autism but once a child becomes an adult with autism, all support ends. Families are left to fend for themselves,” says MHAF Advisory Board member Sharlene Wells. “And when caregivers die, adults with autism are highly susceptible to becoming homeless. This is a challenge that must be solved through collective and collaborative action, and Utah is the ideal state to create the blueprint.”
Earlier this month on April 7, MHAF invited leaders throughout the state to join in a virtual launch of the statewide action plan, with invited guest Governor Spencer Cox introducing the initiative: “As Governor, I lend my full support to a new collective action effort to change the future for all adults with autism and their families here in Utah. We especially welcome the involvement of Madison House Autism Foundation, one of the first national organizations to dedicate its work to adults on the spectrum and their families. Our goals for the Autism After 21 initiative are to replicate the exemplary projects that already exist in our state, learn from national research, best practices and emerging concepts, work together to envision and build inclusive communities across our state, and develop a blueprint that can lead the way for other states, other families and other communities.”
On April 28 and 29, MHAF will hold regional virtual meetings with leaders from all segments of Utah communities - rural and urban - who have an interest in building inclusivity in their cities and towns. The regions will include Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake, Provo, Cedar City, and St. George. For more information and to register, visit the Utah Initiative page of www.madisonhouseautism.org.
Key state collaborators include the Utah League of Cities and Towns, Utah Department of Health, USU Center for Persons with Disabilities, Columbus Community Center, Scenic View Academy, Community Options, Utah Valley University.
About Madison House Autism Foundation
The mission of MHAF is to promote, model and advocate for the full inclusion of adults with autism and their families in the life of our communities; and to expand choice and opportunity in housing, employment, and social participation.
www.madisonhouseautism.org
Contact Information:
Madison House Autism Foundation
Sarah Meehan
801-884-6252
Contact via Email
www.madisonhouseautism.org
Read the full story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/834834
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