Meet Adam: A Voice for Change
If you head to a Utah Jazz basketball game, you might see Adam in the stands cheering along with you. As a 28 year-old adult with autism, Adam yearns to have those on the spectrum be more included in his community. He has a variety of interests, from hiking and biking to watching movies to cheering on teams in the NFL. However, like some others on the spectrum, he does struggle with making connections with others and navigating conversations. “I have issues with not changing the topic whenever someone else wants to change the topic,” shares Adam.
After a hard move from Louisiana to Utah and facing unemployment, Adam saw a spark of hope. He heard about the autism inclusion strategy groups forming as part of the Autism After 21 Utah Project through Madison House Autism Foundation. He saw a chance to be a leader for others like him. “The reason why I wanted to join the RWG [Regional Working Group] was I want to be the voice and the one people can look up to and see that they are not alone,” states Adam. As Secretary of the RWG, Adam meets alongside other self-advocates, family members, service providers, and local leaders to create goals and action plans for greater inclusion in their county. “Those meetings. . . they are very important to me and the autistic community,” shares Adam.
In an open plea to anyone who’s listening, Adam shares that “we’re all human beings just like everyone else in the world. . . We all need a chance to be successful and better in life. We all need connections, and without your help we would not be able to succeed.” The right support can go a long way in impacting the lives and wellbeing of adults with autism like Adam and creating stronger communities, county by county.
A Note About Language: In Meet Adam: A Voice for Change, we use person-first language. Adam prefers person-first language (person with autism). We do our best to reflect the varied individual preferences of adults on the autism spectrum. When not talking about any one person, we flip between identity-first and person-first language to reflect the diversity of preferences in the community.
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My daughter also has autism and intellectual disabilities. I also know Adam. He is an amazing person and a great advocate for people that Autism he never gives up and he tries his best. What more could anyone ask for of a young adult. I wish you the best Adam they are lucky to have you in their mix.