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Welcome to autismadulthood.net! Welcome to the world of autism adult services. My name is Gyasi Burks-Abbott, and I am an adult on the Autism Spectrum with a MS in Library and Information Science from Simmons University. I created this website as part of my Gopen Fellowship at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at UMass Boston. When it comes to autism and adulthood, there is a lot more information than you might imagine–so much, in fact, it can be overwhelming. I hope this helps as an antidote to information overload, a road map for the information superhighway. I’ve organized the information in a way to help get you started and to give you something to refer back to as you move forward. The Homepage is a general introduction to state resources and services with links to information about Person-Centered Planning and Charting a Life Course. The rest of the website delves into more specifics and is divided into the domains of Transition, Education, Employment, Heath Care, and Community Life. Though the focus of autismadulthood.net is Massachusetts, there is a lot that is relevant to the entire country.

Overview

Massachusetts Autism Commission

Established in 2014, the Autism Commission is charged with evaluating the services available to people on the Autism Spectrum and making recommendations to the governor and the legislature.

Massachusetts Department of Developmental Services (DDS)

The Department of Developmental Services’ (DDS) mission is to create opportunities for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities to participate fully in their communities. DDS and its area offices partner with regional Family and Autism Support Centers to provide information and referral, educational and recreational activities, and assistance with applying for benefits.

DDS Home & Community Based Services Waivers

DDS Self-Directed Services

Federal and State Disability Resources

National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services

Representing departments of developmental disability services in all 50 states plus the District of Columba, the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDS) provides legislative updates, research reports, and information on best practices for the delivery of services.

Ready Reference

Arc of Massachusetts’ Resources

As part of it’s mission to enhance the lives of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the Arc of Massachusetts provides links to information organized by age (0-50+), disability (i.e., Autism, Epilepsy), and topic (i.e., education, health care).

Arc of US’ Autism Now

An initiative of the Arc of US, the Autism Now Center hosts a compilation of resources organized by home, school, job, and community. There’s also a listing of agencies by state as well as an information and referral call center.

Autism Society of America’s Autism Source

Created in collaboration with Autism Society affiliates across the country and in partnership with other autism organizations, Autism Source is a comprehensive database of resources covering a variety of domains from academic supports to health care providers.

Autism Speaks’ Resource Guide

National in scope, the Resource Guide provides the contact information for autism-friendly businesses, autism organizations, treatment facilities, employment supports among others.

The Way Forward

Person-Centered Planning

With the help of a trained facilitator, a team of significant people in a person’s life (i.e., parents, siblings, teachers, neighbors, etc.) map out a set of goals based on the person’s proclivities and preferences. 

Charting a Life Course

A person, with or without assistance, does an inventory of their likes, dislikes, and needs in order to come up with a strategy for creating a fulfilling life.