When young adults with autism exit the public school system, often at age twenty-one, they encounter what is sometimes called “the cliff” or “when the bus stops coming.” Without the structure of school, individuals and their parents sometimes struggle to find options that help facilitate continued growth. The leaders at AutismUp realized that there were “gaps in the community,” says marketing and development director Lisa Ponticello. Parents and individuals had to face “that question of what’s next,” she says. “I think we’d just been living in fear of the day the bus stops coming.” The programs that already existed for young adults worked great for some individuals but not all. Many programs focus on gainful employment—a great goal, but “clearly not practical for some of our kids,” says Ponticello. Some individuals might, for example, get more out of a classroom setting, an internship, or a volunteer experience. Given that there were “thousands” of individuals that did not fit well into the available offerings, Ponticello says, AutismUp realized that they needed to create a modern, innovative, and customized program that could fit anyone’s needs. Thus, the Full Life Academy (FLA) program was born. This new program was piloted in the summer of 2021 and fully launched in the fall of 2021 thanks to a grant from the Golisano Foundation. According to AutismUp executive director Sarah Milko, “individualization and innovation” are what sets this program apart. FLA uses an online platform that helps students create and set goals. The student is then advised, based on these goals, about what classes to take in order to achieve them. “Each individual is engaged in mapping out their own future,” said Milko. The “Foundations” classes offered at FLA are individual classes that help each participant work on personal goals. Navigators consider individuals’ skill levels, desires, and ambitions when helping them craft a vision for their future. Navigators work with individuals themselves, and sometimes parents as well, to find the right fit. The classes then work on executive functioning skills using peer-to-peer support, “teachable moments,” and reallife scenarios. In addition to the Foundations classes, FLA offers students instruction in career exploration, technology, fitness, independent living, navigating relationships, exercise, gardening, and more. “We are still building it,” Ponticello says, but the idea is to offer a wide selection of classes, not unlike a college experience. AutismUp is actively working on forming more community partnerships to provide both work and recreation opportunities to program participants. The first two community partnerships have been highly successful. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) teaches a two-hour course once a week to students who are interested in living and navigating their community more safely. Some students have learned how to call 911, how to approach an officer for help, and what to do if they are lost. There are also opportunities to learn about what it takes to run a large-scale department such as the MCSO. Students have visited MSCO facilities as well as the jail and courthouse and have had the opportunity to observe drones and horses in action. A second partnership is with the Seneca Park Zoo. Students go weekly to the zoo to get a behind-the-scenes look at zoo operations and learn about what it takes to work there, as well as learn about conservation and the environment. FLA participant Dianna Douglas, twenty-four, of Webster, loves the program. Via email, she explains that she first tried a college experience program that was not a perfect fit, so she started researching different programs. During a meeting with an advisor from Arc of Monroe and her service coordinator, she was introduced to the FLA concept. “When I heard about it, I was already excited because I loved AutismUp because I already was doing a program there on Saturdays,” she says. “So, we checked it out.” When asked what she likes best about the program, she says, “Wow, so many things, but if I had to pick one . . . being somewhere where I can learn and have fun while doing it.” She has always loved to bake and is expanding her cooking horizons by learning new skills at FLA. “Now I find myself wanting to buy all the cooking things we use in class,” she remarks. “It’s made life so much better learning and knowing I can do it so that one day when I’m on my own I know I can be successful.” The FLA cooking classes cover topics like meal planning and kitchen safety in addition to cooking skills. Douglas says that going forward, she would like to do more baking each week. So far, feedback about FLA from participants, partners, and instructors has been very positive, Ponticello says. They are actively listening to any suggestions and feedback. “The opportunities to just . . . meet everybody where they’re at and make new friends . . . it’s been really wonderful.” Douglas agrees—she feels that FLA is “a wonderful program and there is outstanding staff on the team.” She tells anyone thinking about participating that, “If you have any worries just give it a shot; you won’t regret it. This is a special program for awesome people.”
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