LTO Ventures...Helping Adults with Autism Live on Their Own

As the autism population gets older and migrates into adulthood, parents wonder and are concerned about what will happen to them next.  Where will they live and work?  Will they be capable of living independently and have the capacity to work at all?  Just like any parent, those raising a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) hope that one day their child will obtain employment, and live on their own or maybe in a group home.  According to reports, unemployment among adults with an ASD is a staggering 90 percent, and an estimated 70-85 percent live with a parent or family member. 

Occupational and speech therapy along with educational programs has shown to improve the development of those with an ASD, and increased the potential for job and residential placement.  However, finding employers and residential facilities willing to provide opportunities for those with an ASD is a subsequent challenge.  There are several government agencies and non-profit organizations across the United States that are starting to provide such services to those on the spectrum. 

LTO Ventures based in Henderson, Nevada is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization providing residential models for adults with an ASD and recently announced an entrepreneurial program.  The organization was started by Mark Olson after being inspired by his teenage daughter, who has autism and is nonverbal, and unlikely she will ever be able to live independently.  LTO Ventures creates “Live/Work/Play communities” to help adults with an ASD to have residential opportunities without having to continue to live with a parent or family member.   The communities house approximately 100 residents and are funded in part by grants, donations, private pay, special needs trust, philanthropic equity funding, and endowments.   

Housing options include individual and shared apartment living, and units are organized in clusters to encourage interaction among residents.  Each unit is adapted and equipped to the specific needs and desires of each person.  The communities are vehicle-free and access managed campuses to ensure the safety and security of the residents.  There are currently 18 such LTO community models in existence or under development in the United States.  Further, each campus also consists of businesses that will create employment opportunities. 

In addition to the residential opportunities that LTO Ventures provides, they recently announced the Autism Entrepreneur Center to help adults with an ASD start-up and run a business.  The center will create partnerships between typical adults and those with an ASD to create and successfully run for-profit or non-profit companies.  The mission of the Center is to give ASD adults the specific guidance, tools and resources they need to create, launch and run their own real business.  The first year goal is to create 12 new businesses and putting an estimated 100 adults with an ASD to work. 

For more information about LTO Ventures you can log on to http://ltoventures.org/