Intellectual disabilities Archives

15May

Join Us for the Zefer Foundation Summer Soiree!

Please join us on Thursday, July 27th to raise money to open our groundbreaking first business, Breaking Grounds Coffee!

Breaking Grounds Coffee will be in the Mill Race Village in Mt. Holly, NJ.
Breaking Grounds Coffee will employ individuals with developmental disabilities and be a host for “community based instruction” and vocational rehabilitation

Date and Time

Thursday, July 27, 2017
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM EDT

Location

Deerwood Country Club
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
Phone:

Autism after 21: Parents worry about who will care for children with autism after parents

08May

Autism After 21: Parents Worry About Their Child’s Future As An Adult

Geri Bohn knows her 12-year-old son Kaleb is never going to live on his own. He’s never going to drive a car, or go to college, or get married. Bohn’s even hesitant to say that Kaleb, who has autism and is on the low-functioning end of the spectrum, is at the same level as a 2-year-old child. He’s nonverbal, in diapers and experiences moments of aggression.

“He’ll be our baby forever,” Bohn said. But as Kaleb gets older, taller and bigger, it’s becoming more and more apparent that he’s physically not a baby.

“It’s just hitting true that he’s going to be a lot bigger kid and I don’t know how long I am going to be able to handle that,” Bohn said.

11Apr

Five Big, Avoidable Mistakes Made By Parents of Autistic Kids

If you’re the parent of an autistic kid, you probably get advice thrown at your head from every angle, all day long. You may even be all done with advice. And I hear you, because I am you.

But I also have had the great good fortune to be connected with some of the most insightful autistic and autism professionals and thinkers on this planet, who have transformed my parenting approach completely, and to the benefit of my teen son Leo, as well as myself.

As I have become increasingly devoted to “learn from my mistakes,

Families Face Indefinite Wait For Services

31Mar

Autism: What We Know

Autism now affects 1 in 68 children and 1 in 42 boys nationwide, according to the CDC. Autism affects 1 in 41 children in New Jersey. Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined.

Last year marked 10 years of progress since Autism Speaks first opened its doors in 2005. In 2016, we continue to strive to enhance autism services in every community and get the groundbreaking ABLE Act, now the law of the land, implemented in all 50 states.

23Mar

9 of 10 With Autism Can Work After Training

When given the right supports and training, a new study suggests that nearly all young people with autism who qualify for supported employment can learn to excel on the job. Nine out of 10 transition-age youth with autism who participated in an intensive job training program were working part-time earning at least minimum wage three months after graduating high school. What’s more, 87 percent were still working after 12 months.

[Read More by Clicking Here]

artists-stunning-photos-shatter-misconceptions-disabilities

15Mar

Artist’s Stunning Photos Shatter Misconceptions About Disabilities

Ceridwen Hughes, a photographer from North Wales, wants the world to view disabilities differently.
In an effort to change people’s perspectives, she created a photo project called “We Can…” that focuses on what people with disabilities can do, rather than what they cannot. “People make assumptions based on the way people look and act and do not always see the person behind the condition,” Hughes told The Huffington Post.

Read the full article here.

11Jan

Accessory Dwelling Offers Bridge To Independence

Yung Ting Engelbrecht lounges on his couch watching “Barney” on a tablet. He can scan QR codes taped to the wall that connect him to some of his favorite YouTube videos.

“Where are you going to sleep tonight?” asks his mom, Jacqueline Noel. “New house,” Yung Ting says.

His 288-square-foot accessory dwelling unit is attached to his parents’ house in east Vancouver. Even though he’s lived in the unit for a little over a year, Yung Ting still calls his place “new house” and his parents’ “big house.”

When people initially heard that Yung Ting was getting his own place,