Thomas Mahoney is now 25 years of age. As someone with Autism, Thomas' options have been limited with regard to his functioning outside of the home. Thomas stayed enrolled at his public school until he was 21, and he met some of his transition goals. Still, it was sometimes easier for everyone if Thomas just stayed home.
Thomas has continued to live with Molly and Ian and spends much of his time playing video games. Last year, just after he turned 24, he had a job for a short time at a local convenience store. It didn't work out for him, however, as he got confused easily and didn't like it when he had to be guided in what to do. He was able to express that he wanted to feel grown up but didn't really know how. He left the job after only a few weeks.
Thomas is relatively happy most of the time, and he is fond of talking about his latest video game adventures when Molly and Ian return home from work. Ian and Thomas have become close - Thomas likes to try to make jokes, and his dad is always able to understand his strange and idiosyncratic sense of humor. Thomas has come to understand his dad's inability to walk and offers to help his dad around the house. It has become a way in which the two have been able to bond.
* Is Thomas eligible for public assistance? (SSI, disability)
* Locally in Harrisonburg, what is Friendship Industries? Are there people at Friendship who have Autism? What other kinds of supported employment options (if any) are available?
* If Thomas were unable to live at home, where would he go?
* Given Thomas' disability, what considerations ought Molly and Ian make if they were to become somehow incapacitated or if they died?
* Are there any other community-based options for Thomas? Check into Summit House in Harrisonburg. If Thomas lived in the Harrisonburg area, would he be able to attend?
DECISION POINT ::: In what other activities does Thomas become involved?
Question 1:
ReplyDeleteSSI, or Supplemental Security Income, is available to anyone who is “aged, blind, or disabled.” According to the Social Security Administration, “disabled” for an adult means anyone who is age 18 and older that has a physical or mental impairment which has lasted for a continuous period of no less than 12 months, can be expected to result in death, or results in the inability to do any substantial gainful activity. Substantial gainful activity is usually averaging over $1,010 of profit per month. Thomas is currently making no steady income and has been suffering with autism his entire life, so applying for SSI is a good idea. We cannot say whether Thomas would be granted SSI benefits or not for sure, but he meets many of the qualifications needed in order to be able to apply. The decision usually takes about three to four months after the date of application, which asks for things such as lists of all medications taken, names, addresses and numbers of doctors and other medical professionals, and a list of all places and dates of employment. Doing this could lead to more independence for Thomas financially instead of relying on his parents for most sources of income.
Question 2:
ReplyDeleteFriendship Industries develops and maintains employment and training opportunities for persons with disabilities in work environments. Friendship Industries is an Employment Services Organization, which is a combination of a business enterprise and non-profit organization. They train persons with disabilities to place them in jobs within the community. Friendship Industries also trains and employs persons with and without disabilities to work side-by-side within their commercial operations as a unified, consolidated workforce. There are people at Friendship Industries who have Autism along with many other disabilities.
The U.S. Department of Labor is proposing a new rule that would require federal contractors and subcontractors to set a hiring goal of having 7 percent of their workforces be people with disabilities, Pleasant View Inc is located in Broadway, VA and serves people who have disabilities by providing support services necessary for them to live in and enrich the community and assist each individual in choosing and achieving his or her own vocational, family, and emotional goals. Pleasant View Inc offers supported employment along with Valley Associates for Independent Living. Shenendoah Valley Autism Partnership provides training and networking opportunities to professionals and families who are interested in supporting persons on the autism spectrum.
Question 3:
ReplyDeleteThomas could go to Pleasant View which provides housing and residential support to individuals with disabilities. Pleasant View has many different residential programs. There are many different houses in which individuals with disabilities are able to live together. For example, one house is called Turner House where six individuals share this home in Broadway. Training can include self-care, home care, communication, accessing the community, and social skills based on individual goals. Pleasant View also offers a program called Specialized Home Services where people with developmental disabilities live as members of a family in the local community.
Thomas could also attend Grafton School which provides programs for individuals who require long-term supported residential services. Grafton offers group home living for males and females who are 18 and older with autism or mental retardation that may also include a concurrent psychiatric condition. Group home living is ideal for people who have disorders but are able to live with some amount of independence in a caring, supportive environment with immediate care available if necessary. The home is located within the community.
Another possibility for Thomas would be to live in the Richmond House. In order to qualify to live in this house, you have to be single and at least 18 years of age at the time of admission, have a diagnosis of learning disabilities, pervasive developmental disorder, high functioning autism, or Asperger’s Syndrome and be able to live independently with support. The house currently serves eight adults. Richmond House coordinates with the SNAP Club which serves high-functioning individuals with ASD or Asperger’s Syndrome in middle school, high school and young adults. The purpose of the SNAP club is to enable participants to generalize appropriate social interaction skills to support increased independence in managing the social aspect of both educational and work environments. The Richmond House seems like a great option for Thomas.
Question 4:
ReplyDeleteAccording to the Autism Speaks Website (2012), once an individual turns 18, (even if he or she has a “a significant developmental, cognitive, or mental health disability”), the individual has reached “the age of majority” and can legally make their own decisions(Autism Speaks, 2012, “Legal Matters to Consider”). The individual’s parent(s) must obtain legal guardianship in order to start making decisions on behalf of their child, and then they will also be able look at their child’s health and school records again. It is recommended that parents of children who have Autism, as well as other disabilities, meet with attorneys and financial advisors to plan and make preparations for their child’s life after the age of majority. Parents can meet with these advisors to discuss their child’s present and future health insurance plans, set up a trust fund for the child and/or Supplemental Security Income. It is extremely important for parents of children with disabilities to plan ahead, and Thomas’ parents should make their own Will that includes how and who should care for Thomas should something happen to either or both of them. In their Will, Molly and Ian must state who they wish to become Thomas’ successor guardian, (with at least one alternate), and in the end the court will decide who will become Thomas’ guardian. If Thomas is unable to make his own financial decisions his parents may have the Power of Attorney, and after their death their Will must dictate that responsibility onto a trusted individual; (if no one is mentioned in the Will, the court will choose someone). Molly and Ian can set up a Discretionary Support Trust for Thomas that can help pay for a variety of areas of his life while they are still alive, and it is called a Testamentary Trust after their death. A trust is helpful because without one, Thomas may not have enough financial security to pay for his various life needs, and the court will appoint someone to take care of Thomas’ finances, which can be costly. A Special Needs Trusts can also be set up for Thomas to ensure that his finances are managed in a way that still makes him eligible for governmental programs, like Medicaid, that help him lead a healthy and happy live. Overall, it is crucial for Thomas’ parents to set up a Will that states who can make decisions for Thomas in place of themselves, what financial funds will go to Thomas should an unfortunate situation in the parents case arise, and say where Thomas will live after their death, etc.
Question 5:
ReplyDeleteBecause Thomas is no longer in school, there are less community based resources for him to utilize. The Summit House is community run self-help organization that helps individuals with mental illnesses and social skills deficits find their special niche. The staff consists of many volunteers who hold their participants to the highest standard. There are many structured household activities to be done such as cleaning, organizing, food preparation, and maintenance. Each person in the house contributes what they can. Many support groups are also offered to help with social skills, job placement, and assistance with independent living. This would be a great place for Thomas to go considering he has always had his parents to lean on when times were tough and always needed someone to depend on. Now that he is starting to transition to a more independent life style, he would benefit from these social skills groups as well as the support sessions to help him assimilate to become more independent. To be a member at the Summit House you must fit the following criteria; be a community services board client (which Thomas is because he has utilized services from them in his younger years), be at least 18 years of age (Thomas is 25), and have experienced the effect of a mental illness. The last part is what has caused our group some confusion because Thomas was diagnosed with Autism, which is not necessarily a mental illness. We spoke with a representative of the Summit House on the phone and they told us that they do not cater to those with autism.
Decision Point :
ReplyDeleteThomas has decided that he would like to participate in their local Special Olympics. He attended one of the meetings and ended up loving it. The Special Olympics team in his town has set up different sports throughout the year. During Spring, the sports include baseball and/or golf. During Summer, the sport is swimming, during Fall it is volleyball, and during Winter it is basketball. Thomas seems to get along with everyone for the most part, however sometimes it is a challenge since most of the people participating have Autism or some other type of disability.
Thomas has also become obsessed with collecting coins. His interest first started when he found an odd coin on the street just before his Special Olympics practice. He was infatuated and decided to look around everywhere possible to begin his collection. He loves the different sizes and textures of each coin and likes to study the pictures and dates of each one. Thomas does not like for anyone else to touch his coins because he is so attached to them and is afraid something might happen to them. If Molly or Ian try to examine one of his coins, he throws a temper tantrum.
REFERENCES:
ReplyDeleteAutism Speaks. (2012). Legal matters to consider. Retrieved on April 12, 2012, from http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/tool-kits/transition-tool-kit/legal-matters
Friendship Industries. (2012). Friendship industries. Retrieved from http://www.friendship-industries.com/FI-Web/DesktopDefault.aspx
Meyer, Fitzwater. (n.d.). Trusts for disabled persons. Retrieved on April 12, 2012 from http://www.fitzwatermeyer.com/practice/specialneeds/trustsfordisabled.cfm
Pleasant View. (2004). Pleasant view: Supporting people with disabilities. Retrieved from http://www.pleasantviewinc.org/aboutpv.html
SVAP. (2012). Shenandoah valley autism partnership. Retrieved from http://valleyautism.org/
Rockingham County Public Schools. (2012). Rockingham county public schools. Retrieved from http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/rcps_sped/transition/index.htm
Social Security Online. (2012). Understanding Supplemental Security Income if You Are Disabled or Blind 2012 Edition. Retrieved April 13, 2012 from http://www.ssa.gov/ssi
Grafton Integrated Health Network. (2011). Grafton integrated health network. Retrieved from http://www.grafton.org/
Autism Speaks. (2012). Catalog of residential services. Retrieved from http://www.autismspeaks.org/housing-catalog?province=virginia
Hundley, L. (2012). Welcome to the richmond house. Retrieved from http://richmondhouse.org/index.htm