Would You Let Policymakers Choose Your Home?
With already so few opportunities and scarce funding available to adults on the autism spectrum, why would policymakers create even more hurdles for autistic adults? Policy developed to protect and empower those with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities is…
Madison House President’s Statement to IACC: “Services Delayed Are Services Denied”
Madison House Autism Foundation President, JaLynn Prince, addressed the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC), the federal advisory committee that coordinates all efforts within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning autism spectrum disorders. Mrs. Prince’s speech declares the urgency…
Nationwide Autism Initiative: A First Step and Challenge to Presidential Candidates
I am heartened that today a presidential candidate has finally stepped forward to help address autism. As Founder and President of Madison House Autism Foundation, one of the few organizations in the country focused solely on the needs of adults…
Complicated New Year’s Goals: 21 On and Off the Spectrum
When I volunteered to write this blog post, I was given the suggestion to write about hopes I have in this new year for Drew, my brother, who is both deaf and autistic. Like most siblings, I am not in…
Public Comments at IACC Highlight Autism in Adulthood: Abuse Cases, Lack of Supports, and Inadequate Research
On January 12, 2016, Desiree Kameka, Director of Community Education & Advocacy at Madison House Autism Foundation, delivered a powerful speech before the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee regarding the urgent needs of adults on the autism spectrum and their families. Please…
Home and Community: An Individual Choice, Not An Ideological Debate
Access to affordable and supportive housing is becoming increasingly challenging, and funding for waiver supports and housing vouchers is not meeting the demand. It is concerning that professional, non-state resident advocates are writing letters to Medicaid authorities in Arizona and…
Speaker of the House and 13 Ohio Members of Congress Support Emily and others who live on Farmsteads!
Denny Roger’s daughter, Emily, was at a dead-end. Her family modified their home so she could have her own space, but her frequent meltdowns expressed her dissatisfaction and frustration. She moved into a home in the community with a roommate,…
You Aut to Know | On My Own: Living Independently with Autism
“On my own”: Those three simple words, create a phrase filled with a lot of excitement and uncertainty. It is a well-known phrase, mainly used when going off to college or snagging that first home to rent or buy. That…
Why the Next “Empty Bed” Isn’t Enough for Adults with Disabilities
As a director at Madison House Autism Foundation, my search for insights, solutions, and direction in better serving adults with I/DD has been both a personal and professional mission. In my quest for answers, I joined 1,200 professionals in Washington,…
Ocate Cliffs Eco-Retreat: Autistics Creating Community and Empowering Enterprises
Star Ford is an autistic social entrepreneur who started Ócate Cliffs, an eco-retreat center located on 139 acres in the mountains of beautiful New Mexico. This “autistic workspace” will create employment for about 20 autistic adults. Read our interview with…