Autistic Resilience Network selects clients to help meet their needs

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – The Autistic Resilience Network supports people with autism and related disorders by meeting their unique needs and enhancing their resilience.

They run two programs to support people with autism or related conditions:

Contingency Program – The Contingency Program allows us to meet small emergency needs throughout the year. This could include things like a bus pass, co-pays for doctor visits or help with your electricity bill.
Sue Milos Joy Program – Applicants are asking for help purchasing an item or service that will make a positive difference in their life in the long term. Community members review requests and decide how they want to help!

Cady Stanton, Executive Director, stopped by the morning break to talk about this year’s Sue Milos Joy Program honorees.

Antonio (he/she)

Antonio is a young man with autism who currently shares a double mattress on the floor of the room he shares with his two brothers. His care provider has contacted us to say that she is concerned that this has negatively affected all three brothers as none of them can get enough quality sleep to function normally during the day.

Antonio writes: “My name is Antonio, I am 18 years old and I live with my aunt, cousins and cousins. I am currently working on obtaining a certificate of secondary education. My favorite lesson is English, because it is the most interesting and easiest for me. I will be working at the dog shelter on Mondays and Fridays at my school to start saving money for the future. When I graduate from high school, I would like to go to college to study computer programming. I really like playing video games, my favorite game right now is Call of Duty, which I like to play on PlayStation 5. My favorite color is green. I enjoy watching movies, especially Spider-Man: Across the Universe. Since I’m still in school and can’t work full time, sometimes it’s hard to have enough money for what I need and want. I would really like to decorate my bedroom with posters and a new TV. I would also like a dresser to store my clothes and a new bed that I don’t have to share. Sometimes I stop breathing in my sleep, so it’s very important to have a good bed where I can sleep in the right position.”

Ask: $1,400 for the following: ● a bunk bed (a single bed on top of a full bed) that will allow all three young people to find a place to sleep (about $600); ● Double mattress and full mattress (approximately $600); ● Bedding consisting of two sets of sheets, two blankets, and four pillows (approximately $200). Antonio is excited to share before and after photos of the room he and his brothers share!

Alix (they/them)

Alix is a young adult with autism who is currently completing a four-year degree with a dual degree and a teaching certificate with the goal of becoming a high school teacher. They worked as substitute teachers for two years to cover living expenses and gain real-world experience to prepare them for their careers. Alix is deeply passionate about her own education, as well as the education—and the lives—of the students they teach. The students they have taught often seek them out, despite only knowing them for a limited time as a substitute teacher, because Alix is so responsive and attuned to each student’s individual needs.

Alix’s high level of empathy is a natural characteristic of their personality, which has been enhanced by their own life experiences and awareness of how difficult life can be for 4 students. In childhood, they had many serious health problems. Later they were transferred to education. Their childhood was characterized by pain, fear and chronic stress. They are now living independently, fighting their autism, finishing school and working. They have two dogs and a cat that provide a critical level of emotional connection and support that keeps them going despite the long days, exhaustion and constant financial stress.

Alyx’s support in this process will not only help them, but also the many students they will teach in the future. Alix’s deep concern for her students, combined with their love of learning and ability to persevere in very difficult circumstances, will be a gift to every student they meet.

Ask: Donate food and other supplies for their three animals (types of food and bedding will be provided) and $800 to be kept in a reserve by the Autistic Resilience Network for regular vet care and any unexpected health issues, that may arise for their animals in the future.

Ari (they/them)

We hope the community can come together to provide Ari with a working laptop. Their laptop broke three years ago and they couldn’t afford to replace it.

Ari writes, “I’m a writer, editor, and visual artist who sells self-published work, writes articles, and paints on commission, and it would be life-changing to have a laptop for work. I just used physical notepads and the notes app on my phone. I’m hoping to go full-time one day to quit the customer service job I’m struggling with.”

Ari experienced difficulties from early childhood.

Ari says, “I couldn’t get my mouth to make sounds, and I would format my sentences incorrectly. I was in and out of speech therapy. When I was five years old, my kindergarten teacher wanted to restrain me or send me to a special school. She literally used the ‘p’ word to describe me.”

In adolescence, it was difficult for them to communicate with their peers. Like many other autistic people, they rarely had friends; the people they thought were their friends would make fun of them. When they showed themselves to be weirdos, the family rejected them. For the past few years, they have been working minimum wage in customer service, which has left them constantly in financial straits. They live in a two-room apartment with three other people.

Ari enjoys fine art, sculpting, painting, writing and editing. They are avid readers and have an incredible personal library with a DI bookshelf that spans an entire wall.

They write: “I would use this every day. I would bring this almost anywhere. I’m currently trying to group all of my writing into two or three themes, and may be going to self-publish a book with all of my writing and a short story. Having a laptop would make this much easier and faster, and would also improve my creative output. My mind doesn’t work well with the phone as the only way to write poetry. I’m hoping that if I can get better at my writing, and ideally if I can run art programs, that would be fantastic. If I could do both of these things consistently, I hope I could move away from the customer service job a bit. It would ease my workload and stress. A laptop would also help with going back to school and having access to my school records in one place.”

Ask for: $1,000 to purchase a laptop capable of running Windows 11 and Photoshop or similar software to complete a digital art commission. They are about to go back to school, so the laptop should be of good quality that will last for several years.

Michael (he/she)

Michael is a 23-year-old autistic person who is pleasant to talk to. His eyes light up as we talk and he laughs easily, but he covers his mouth most of the time and I never see him smile. He explains that he is ashamed because he is missing a front tooth.

Michael lives in a group home and is desperate to find a job. He would like to be a technician or a digital artist. However, he is currently open to any job opportunity. His mentor reached out, explaining that he had had seven interviews but no job offers. His mentor said: “Despite the best hairstyles and outfits I can help him wear to look ready for work, he won’t be able to get a job with a gaping hole in the front of his mouth. Living in 2024 as a young black autistic man is hard enough, but when you see him missing a front tooth, you can make a lot of assumptions that aren’t good for his self-esteem or his future.”

The insurance company rejected his request for a tooth replacement five times, stating that the missing tooth was only a cosmetic problem and therefore not covered. He does not have access to any other resources to help replace his tooth.

Ask: About $1,500 to replace a front tooth. His mentor is working on getting a final estimate from the dentist and we will update him with the exact amount as soon as it becomes available.

To assist the Autistic Resilience Network with any of these requests, click here.