From school to self-reliance: Autism transition program builds life skills

Tomorrow marks the start of Autism Acceptance Month, and Fox 5 is committed to sharing stories of life on the spectrum. For many, transitioning from school to adult services is such a scary time that many call it falling off the cliff. Sharon Crowley shows us how residential transition programs can help prepare some individuals for whatever comes next. Please follow me. Sure. Thanks, Rudy. In this area, we have the kitchen. This is where we cook our meals. And this is where we have life skills. For the first time in his life, 33-year-old Rudy Vengal is learning how to live on his own. What do you like to make for dinner? My most favorite meal for dinner is pizza. Rudy has a photographic memory and is fluent in English and French. He's also autistic. What's this here? Is this the calendar of all your activities? No, this is my typical weekly menu plan for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every week. Rudy is one of 80 adult residents with intellectual and developmental disabilities who live here at Chapel Haven Schleifer Center in New Haven, Connecticut. We do our daily chores, which consist of cleaning the kitchen and cleaning the living room. And we use the vacuum and mop to do that. Back in 1972, two families trying to help their own adult children with special needs live more independently started the center. Tuition is comparable to that of a traditional college, costing between $50,000 and $80,000 annually. Here, adults learn life skills, everything from budgeting, meal planning, cooking, to taking public transportation, and the importance of communicating. Public communication needs to get received. And there's something else even more valuable. I've made friends that I didn't think that I would. I've grown as a person. I've had people, both staff here as well as my family at home, tell me just how much I've improved. They occasionally do things like game nights. We occasionally do things. We have a D&D group, actually. 23-year-old Dason Avery says he has Asperger's and ADHD. Honestly, it feels a lot better than I used to, because I used to just kind of spend all my time by myself. Residents also learn how to hold down a part-time job with help from many employers in this community. We teach people how to live independently, how to manage an apartment. If a goal is to go to college, we have supports for that. And, of course, how to gain employment. And really what our adults come here for is to have their own independent adult life. Catherine Sullivan DeCarlo is vice president of admissions and marketing. This is like their college. And they want to be going away just like the brother or sister went off to college. And Chapel Haven is that place for them where they come and they learn how to manage their adult life. One of the things that makes this program so unique is that once an adult decides to leave here and maybe go live independently on their own, they're still eligible for a few hours of services every week. And they can be part of this community for life. I know a lot of the families, their biggest concern is what's going to happen to them when I'm no longer here. Who's going to take care of them when I'm no longer here? And a big part of this program or Chapel Haven is, you know, they'll have that support system for the rest of their lives. Whether it's the two hours per week or whether it's just a check-in every once in a while. But they have their community here. They have their home. Brittany Nadeau is a supervisor. She says adults who come here have to want to be here. They have to be motivated to be independent. They have to want to live on their own. It can't be coming from the families. It has to be coming from the students. So if a family is coming here and their family member does not want to come here, it isn't going to be successful. These are the schedules of our daily chores that we have to follow. Oh, okay. So what? Oh, I see Rudy. There's your name. What Chapel Haven has allowed him to do is to break through the shell and come to life. Ramesh Vangal is Rudy's father. I'm beginning to get a sense that a year or two more, this young chap is going to come forward and not only be someone who needs to be supported, but contribute to society. And what does Rudy think? I am happy with my life here at Chapel Haven. And by the time I graduate next year in 2026, which is one and a half years from now, I hope that by then I will have my own condo, my own job, and I can live independently. And it's pretty obvious everyone here is rooting for Rudy's success too. In conclusion, I love Chapel Haven and I love everybody here, especially my friends. Sharon Crowley, Fox 5 News. And Fox 5 invites you to join us this Thursday for a Fox 5 special, Autism Life on the Spectrum. A look at the latest advancements in autism and how advocates are pushing for more support and acceptance. That's Thursday, April 3rd at 5.30 p.m. right here on Fox 5.