When Wendy Kaplan gathered her 26-year-old daughter Rachel's circle of support to discuss options for living independently, she thought they would talk about moving to an apartment. But Rachel, who has autism and communicates through typing, had a different idea. She wanted to live on a farm.
Thus began SustainAbility, a one-acre farm is in the height of its inaugural season at the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay, Long Island.
Wendy and Rachel come six days a week. They are joined by a group of approximately ten adults with autism and other developmental disabilities as well as their helpers -- be they parents or companions. Volunteers come at least twice a week and tend to what has become a fully-working operation, providing produce for a local Community Supported Agriculture program and a small farm stand.
"We have seen a family grow up around our shared mission," Wendy told The Huffington Post. "A life's work is something that is really absent in adults with developmental disabilities -- there is a lack of connection to a real profession and community."
Autism is often thought of as a childhood issue, but as more individuals with autism spectrum disorders age, serious questions are being posed about how to best provide adequate support.
"The United States is on the verge of a crisis, as more than 800,000 children identified with autism spectrum disorders enter adulthood," stated a recent report from Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism, a national consortium. It called for solutions to address the "vastly increasing" numbers of teenagers and adults who will need services, accommodations and career support.
Groups like the advocacy organization Autism Speaks have created transition tool kits that can help families make sense of their options once a child leaves the school system and needs housing and work. The options, which vary from state-to-state, can be slim and wait lists are common.
That was the case for Wendy, who said she looked into existing residential farm programs for Rachel, but the wait was too long. Given what she called a "real paucity" of opportunities, Wendy did what many parents of adult children with autism do: Using private funds and government funds Rachel receives, she started her own non-profit.
"This wasn't our first choice, as you can imagine," Wendy said. "But it was hers, so we thought, 'We're going to make this happen.'"
One issue for communities like SustainAbility is striking a balance of personalities, particularly when individuals fall on dramatically different places on the autism spectrum.
Laura Shumaker, author of the book "A Regular Guy: Growing Up With Autism," said that finding the right mix is an issue she has faced when seeking out options for her son, Matthew, now 25. After some searching, he now lives at a residential facility in California, which includes an organic farm and vineyard and is a good fit. But she has seen others who struggle with the mix -- particularly when they start their own program.
"You don't know what the chemistry is going to be," she said. "I have friends who are going through this, and they're having a heck of a time finding people who will be the right peer group for their kids. It's just really hard."
Wendy believes that this is the benefit of farming. People suggested she start small, with a community garden, but she believed -- and continues to believe -- that having a lot of room is key. People can interact if they want, or they can be more solitary.
"These are individuals with a capital 'I,'" she said. "The great thing about a farm is that it is infinitely adaptable to the individual. There are many places they can be."
This winter, Wendy plans to begin looking for a space that can accommodate a larger farm and residential community for what she envisions will be around 12 adults with developmental disabilities who live and work alongside “co-workers” without. She is set on helping Rachel realize her dreams of farm living.
"Rachel has amassed a real skill set," Wendy said. "She is -- and we all are -- inspired by the enterprise. It is great for everyone to feel a part of something so big."