In Baltimore and beyond, parents are creating employment opportunities for adult children with autism
But the discreet signs positioned on each table at the North Baltimore cafe give away the difference: "Our service team includes six adults on the autism spectrum. We invite you to get to know them."
Myers, a 25-year-old
That accommodation is necessary in Myers' case to give him the chance to master different tasks -- but few workplaces would offer it. That's why his father opened the cafe.
Like other parents of adult children with autism and other developmental disabilities, Michael and
A generation ago, parents of children with disabilities pushed for protections in the school system. Today's parents are pressing to integrate their children into jobs in health care, retail and information technology.
They are part of a burgeoning national movement, increasingly encouraged by state and federal government policies, to get more people with developmental disabilities into the workplace.
Some are pioneering their own solutions.
"We weren't willing to leave it to chance," said
"Our hope for Sam has always been and always will be for him to continue to grow and progress, so that he can live as independent and fulfilling a life as possible."
The number of adults with disabilities who are employed in the general workforce is growing, but the population still suffers high rates of unemployment and underemployment. About 137,500 people with disabilities were employed year-round in
Advocates say the need to expand opportunities is growing more urgent. Over the next decade, an estimated 500,000 teens nationwide who have been diagnosed with some form of autism will age out of their schools, and lose access to the support services they provide. Thousands of them will be in
State and federal policymakers are beginning to respond. Between now and 2020,
The state has developed an employment-first strategy to guide agencies to increase the number of people with developmental and intellectual disabilities working in competitive jobs. It includes steps such as providing training and technical assistance to schools so they can help young people move from high school to jobs.
The
Some parents say their children are too vulnerable to be working in the general population, or require constant therapeutic support. And companies concerned about the bottom line worry that hiring people with disabilities -- who might require accommodations -- will may cost them time and money.
Falcone says parents starting businesses to employ their children show that policies and perceptions have not yet caught up with reality.
Still, advocates say, the community is seeing a radical shift. Employers are becoming more aware of the potential of people on the spectrum, technology is advancing, and the workers themselves are demanding equal pay and opportunities.
"We're getting dramatically better at helping people understand the different skills and abilities," said
Autism -- a developmental disability that is caused by a mix of genetic and environmental factors -- presents as a range of conditions, including repetitive behaviors and challenges with social skills and communication. About a third of people with autism do not speak (some of these communicate without words). About a third have IQs of 70 and lower.
Diagnoses of autism have more than doubled in the last 15 years, largely because awareness has increased.
As a little boy,
As an adult, he is resistant to change, his father says, but he managed to try out an assortment of positions -- working in a computer lab, a bookstore, an office and in dining services -- through a program that allows people with autism to sample different jobs.
He thrived working with food and people, so his parents decided opening a cafe was the best fit.
The cafe's managers develop individual strategies to help each of the workers with autism succeed,
In the kitchen, 28-year-old
For the
Wittstadt lost his job at the grocery store when it closed. He applied for work at several other places, including a hobby shop and a pet store, his mother says, but each one turned him down.
When he was younger, he could get therapy, emotional support and other services from school. His parents were overjoyed when he completed high school,
"Here is where the anger and stress and sadness come in,"
She is haunted by what will happen when she's gone.
For now, working 20 hours a week at Sam's cafe, he is learning. The more he interacts with people at the cafe, his mother says, the more his independence grows. He orders his own meals at restaurants, takes an Uber to work and is on track to get his own apartment in an assisted living setting.
The best part of his job are the friends he has made.
"It's almost like a small family,"
All of the people on the spectrum employed by Sam's cafe are clients of
"It's not charity work," Eaton said. "They can help your bottom line."
Some
"Never underestimate what anyone is capable of," Eaton said. "Different is good."
More than half of
Such work is not for everyone.
The
Liggins says she supports the push for more work opportunities for people with autism. But she hopes it doesn't come at the expense of services for adults such as her son who need intensive support.
"They are a community that needs protecting," she said.
Sam's cafe is not yet profitable, but
New customer
Myers introduced himself, told her about the cafe's unique workforce and urged her to try the popular "Grown-Up Grilled Cheese," stuffed with bacon and gruyere and cheddar cheeses.
Sriram, a local artist, said she was eager to support Sam's because businesses like it help build community, and in a community, people take care of one another.
"I want us to get back to that," she said. "When I come in here, I know why I am spending. I am spending to help Sam and others like him."
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