From Forest Living Magazine, November 2018 issue.
The Problem Affects Many Families
Many children and adults with Autism require 24/7 “line-of-sight” care. Given that Medicaid coverage for this care ends when the child reaches 21 years of age, families such as Brian’s find themselves on waiting lists for basic living services and family support services. These vulnerable individuals and their families are in crisis, resulting in extraordinary stress, bankruptcies, and high rates of divorce.
One Family Decides to Help
The idea for Stomp Out the Silence of Autism & Disabilities, Inc. came to Brian Thomas grandparents, Brian and Marti Hall, when they talked to their friend Gregg Whelen about young Brian’s uncertain future and other families with autism facing a lack of resources. Gregg, who runs an assisted living facility for mentally challenged adults in Denver, Colorado, saw a need for a similar type of facility for adults with autism. Together, they decided to start the Help Autism Center, to help fund and provide services for families in Colorado with members who have special needs.