Mark,
An Autistic Adult
By Anita Stubbs

When my nephew, Mark, was diagnosed with autism back in 1975, little was known about the disorder, and only  1 out of 10,000 cases were reported that year. Today, the numbers are staggering, as studies are reporting a child being diagnosed every twenty minutes with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).  Presently, much research is being done into causes, with emphasis on early intervention and education for these special needs children who are entering  the public school systems in increasing numbers. However, so much attention is focused  on early diagnosis, education, therapy, the cause, and the possibility of a cure for the children, I worry about the others, the pioneers, so to speak, with the disorder--the autistic children of the 70's and 80's, whose public school education is history.  Today these adults are, if not  voiceless, represented by no more than a whisper. 

I urge you all to consider these valued family members and their future welfare.  These are individuals just as loved and important  to their families as they were the day they were born,  their needs and  their wishes equally important and worthy of our attention, and our funding.

Today, at age thirty-nine, Mark, lives at home with his parents and  has become, for the most part, invisible to the autism community at large.  He works part-time at a neighborhood supermarket, and is motivated daily by the belief that he has a more independent future, somewhere, somehow, in Supported Living.  Yet, there is a critical lack of residential and other lifestyle services for higher functioning autistics like Mark, especially in his home state of Tennessee. Mark has waited for twelve years for an appropriate place where he can live,  and thrive,  for the rest of his life.

As his parents age, they  grow more concerned about the lack of suitable housing for their son.  Chances are they will not outlive Mark,  for he is healthy physically.   They are plagued with worry and fears about what will become of him when they can no longer provide a home for him.  What will become of his hopes, and his aspirations? To what end will all his hard work toward independence come? Mark obsesses daily about moving to a place of his own, his "dream home in the country" he calls it. 

He has held the same job for almost ten years, and has been singled out for special awards and commendations at his workplace.  Every day, Mark goes to work, believing completely that if he works hard and remains focused, his dream of having a place of his own, and the active social life for which he yearns, will be realized.  However, he grows increasingly depressed and afraid that there is no place  for him.  Mark is not capable of living completely independently. His special needs for his particular psychological disabilities will continue for the rest of his life.  Nevertheless,  living in a supported living situation would work well for Mark, and he wants that kind of lifestyle very much. 

Mark's situation, his awareness of his difference, and his yearning to live a more normal life is the subject of  my latest book, co-authored with my sister, Jackie Fuller.  Through our book, entitled A MOTHER'S DREAM for Her Adult Autistic Son, we hope to turn the spotlight on adult autistics like Mark, who long ago moved through the public school system, into either a sheltered workshop, or supported employment in the outside community.  These unique adults face an uncertain, and frightening,  future when their lifelong caretakers can no longer provide a home for them. The book is a timely and representative biography, written with purpose, for it is a call to action about a problem that is not being addressed in the book industry, or by society at large.  Our book's intent is to raise Mark's voice from one small whisper to a thundering roar.

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