April is Autism Awareness Month
By Shannon Connelly. Photos by Art Petrosemolo
MIDDLETOWN – Raising a child who who has autism poses challenges for parents, but what happens when the children approach adulthood?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a 2014 surveillance study identified 1 in 68 children – 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls – as having autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Although schools and after-school programs have come a long way in meeting educational needs for children with autism, many parents are faced with the question of how to help their children as “age out” of school.
OASIS tlc, Ongoing Autistic Success in Society – Therapeutic Life Centers, a Middletown-based organization that provides jobs and housing for autistic adults on its farms, hopes to fill that need for many families.
OASIS tlc, previously known as Impact OASIS (Improving Middletown’s Program for Autistic Children Together), is a nonprofit organization formed in 2000 to help raise money to improve the quality of education in the public school system for the growing number of students with autism. Mai Cleary, president of OASIS tlc, said they eventually decided to switch gears and focus on creating better opportunities for students with autism after the age of educational entitlement, which is 21.
“We’re kind of at the top of the wave and creating things as we go,” said. “There’s been a big increase in autism. You have to pave the way.”
Autism, a neurodevelopmental disorder, affects all five senses, Cleary said. For example, people with autism may hear sounds at different frequencies, so a quiet sound may sound loud to them, and vice versa. They also have trouble with depth perception and balance, which can cause them to make strange movements.
“Because of the differences with their senses, they’re quite misunderstood and they can’t speak up for themselves,” Cleary said. “That’s why the moms and dads are doing it for them.”
As part of their mission to create organic farms where adults with autism can live and work together, currently OASIS tlc owns two farms in Middletown. The first farm, located on Sleepy Hollow Road, is a four-year transitional program for adults between the ages of 18 and 27.
Students working on the farms take part in a variety of activities throughout the day, such as taking care of the farm’s chickens and goats, and weaving and bread baking.
The students also have the opportunity to live at the farm. Cleary, whose son, John Cleary, 27, is part of the program, said they currently have six residents and eight students, and just accepted seven more students for next year. They are now at full capacity and are hoping to expand quickly.
In 2011, OASIS tlc partnered with Middletown Township, the Monmouth Conservation Foundation, NJDEP (New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection) Green Acres and NY/NJ Baykeepers to purchase the 26-acre property on Sleepy Hollow Road. Their 6-acre farm is surrounded by 20 acres of property used by Middletown Township as a park.
After students complete the four-year transitional program, those who enjoy the farm life move on to work at OASIS tlc’s recently purchased second farm, located on Navesink River Road.
The group was able to purchase the second farm in July 2015, thanks to a loan from a single donor who wishes to remain anonymous. The farm is 14 acres.
There, students learn such skills as mechanics, landscaping, woodworking and sculpting.
“We keep our students engaged in meaningful activities throughout the day,” Cleary said.
Cleary said the farm life is both therapeutic and healthy for the students. The students also enjoy the fact that they get to live with other people like themselves, she said.
“They understand each other. (They get) to know you’re not alone. It’s quite a beautiful program,” she said.
Cleary said Autism Awareness Month, which is celebrated each April, is important because it brings awareness to a disorder that many people may not understand.
Liz Smith, OASIS tlc vice president, said she believes autism is much more in the spotlight than it was years ago, thanks in large part to Autism Awareness Month.
According to Smith schools now hold assemblies in April that highlight autism and teach students how they can best interact with their peers who have the disorder.
“Looking at the progression over the past 10 years, I think is in large part due to Autism Awareness Month,” she said. “I think it’s great because everyone stops, focuses and learns.”
OASIS tlc is holding a variety of events throughout the month to recognize the awareness campaign.
On Saturday, April 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., OASIS tlc will be selling items at West Elm, located at 1 Bridge Ave. in Red Bank. On Sunday, April 10, they will sell items at the Made in Monmouth event at the MAC at Monmouth University, located on Larchwood Ave. in West Long Branch. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Everything from pillows to glass cutting boards to goat milk soap, all made by the artists and friends of OASIS tlc, will be for sale at both events.
OASIS tlc will also host a tea service on Wednesday, April 20 from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Sleepy Hollow Road farm, and in the summer they will be having breakfast from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday mornings, served by the students. Anyone interested in attending either event can send an email to OASISTLCNJ@gmail.com to receive an e-vite.
More information and upcoming events, can be found at oasistlc.org.
