Schools and education programs offer the structure and an active engagement autistic students need to thrive in their communities. Upon graduation, the services cliff at age 22 is leaving hundreds of autistic adults with moderate to high support needs unprepared to lead productive lives. There is a growing crisis for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities reaching adulthood that cannot access safe and appropriate community inclusion options. I believe adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities need effective services and habilitation programs to gain skills and behaviors necessary to function with as much self-determination and independence as possible in their own…
The services cliff at age 22 is leaving hundreds of autistic adults with moderate to high support needs unprepared to lead productive lives. This leads to isolation and loss of skills. It’s also not the best use of our tax dollars to only fund these programs in institutional settings.
There is a growing crisis for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities reaching adulthood that cannot access safe and appropriate community inclusion options. I believe adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities need effective services and habilitation programs to gain skills and behaviors necessary to function with as much self-determination and independence as possible in their own community of choice. For most this means access to medically necessary therapies, vocational, recreational and day habilitation services.
The Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA) assists individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to obtain services and support based on individual preferences, capabilities, and needs. Regrettably the current services through the DDA does not include community based day habilitation programs. Currently day habilitation programs are only available in an institutional setting and most are not individualized, nor developmentally appropriate for adults.
WHY IS THIS SERVICE NECESSARY?
Day Habilitation offers a community-based service in a person’s chosen setting. This service is critical because so many people with developmental disabilities experience isolation and depression because of not being able to access their communities. Being stuck at home does not meet the inclusionary or self-determination goals stated by DDA or any community based organization serving people with developmental disabilities .
MOST RECENT DATA REPORTED BY DDA SHOWS MOST ADULTS ARE STUCK AT HOME WITH NOTHING TO DO AND NOWHERE TO GO
According to utilization reports sent to CMS, only 700 people out of 9,539 Basic Plus waiver recipients utilized “Community Inclusion.” Of those 700 people, the average person received about an hour a week of service. In contrast, Respite had 3766 participants; supported employment had 5600 participants. But DDA’s own data show that even with a job, most adults with developmental disabilities don’t get more than very few hours a week of community based services.
Join Shayan and I to raise funds to make Day Habilitation Programs a reality in our communities!