'Agricultural specialisterne': rural employment revolution for those with Autism

[Visionary7903]

Detour to: Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Vizzle - Visual Learning Software

**Specialisterne (Danish for ‘Specialists’) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Their consultants bring the joy of work into areas where it is often missing today. The social enterprise introduced Information Systems Examination Board (ISEB) certifications for its consultants:

…A person with Asperger’s Syndrome is as capable of going to school and learning. But new surroundings, unfamiliar situations and unknown people are generally difficult for these people to handle.

Because of this, many have difficulties taking an exam.

“Many did very well in school, but not when it came to tests. Therefore, they do not have the diploma they were supposed to have,” general manager Lisbeth Zornig Andersen explains.

Therefore, exams in connection with test certifications must take place in an environment that is secure for Specialisterne’s employees…

The untraditional education and exam form was developed in cooperation with the Danish IT Society, which is in charge of certifications, and the development company Delta, which supplies teaching resources…

**(source: Danish company certifies people with autism - Computerworld)

The approach of Specialisterne in the above example falls within the philosophy of ‘universal design for learning’ (UDL). UDL calls for using curricula and materials that are flexible enough to accommodate a wide variety of learning styles and needs.

The three principles of UDL are described on the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) website as:

• Multiple means of representation, to give diverse learners options for acquiring information and knowledge;
• Multiple means of action and expression, to provide learners options for demonstrating what they know; and
• Multiple means of engagement, to tap into learners’ interests, offer appropriate challenges, and increase motivation.

One example of a program following UDL principles is Vizzle. Vizzle is an award-winning, web-based software for children with Autism as well as non-Autistic children with visual learning styles.

Here is a short overview video on Vizzle: YouTube - ‪VizZle, Visual Learning Software for Autism‬‏

And some positive results with Vizzle …

…“The main issue with my students is autism,” says Courtney Monastra, who teaches at Highland Local Schools in Marengo, Ohio. “When a parent comes in, they often don’t understand 100 percent of their child’s potential, because when there’s a challenge to communication, it is hard to see the child’s knowledge. My students are unconventional learners, and it’s much easier for them to interpret things they can see rather than hear the information from a person.”

Monastra’s school turned to VizZle, a Web-based lesson-creating resource that teaching teams can access through shared student folders and tracked assessment data.

“You can put in the [Integrated Programme (IP)] goal they’re working on and drag lessons into that goal so that every time they do that lesson, it’s measured,” Monastra says. “When you look at the end of the quarter at how they’re identifying letters, on top of documenting work in the classroom you can print out a progress graph.”

The kids’ love of technology pushes them to work outside their social comfort zone. “Their levels are so different: One isn’t verbal; one talks all the time, but his skills are lower. It’s been the first thing they can do together. We can practice taking turns using the electronic pen.”

Tailor-made reinforcements seemed ideally suited to those with autism, but is it tough to teach? “I have one student who goes in and makes his own lessons,” Monastra says. “It helps them generalize their knowledge, which is important. You can download a video from YouTube [which Monastra does at home] and put it at the end of the lesson, so my student who loves horses can watch a horse clip. Every one of my students has a focus.”

Amanda Deng found similar success in piloting VizZle in connection with Pennsylvania’s Competent Learner Model program. “One of my students really likes the Matching Board,” says Deng, who teaches at Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15 in Enola, “so I take images from his favorite cartoons and create Scooby-Doo or Sesame Street tile pairs for him to match. Another girl is quiet and withdrawn, but when I put her on the computer with a peer, she gets very excited, communicates more, and comes out of her shell. I use it a lot with two students at a time, making educational games for them that involve taking turns.

I also use Matching Board with coins, setting a target total amount with three to ten possible visual choices to reach it. They have a large and growing game-and-lessons library that you can edit or tweak and even personalize with your own voice. The kids will do just about anything for those frequent reinforcements…”

(sources: CAST: About UDL; SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: Assistive Tech: May We Help You?)

[happycarol]

In New York they had a job position that was like this, called a Cognitive Remediation Specialist, who coordinates different specialists and finds assistive tech for disabled people, cool job and good for people who need to keep active. Not specific for agricultural jobs, and we worked with all types of disability. Assistive tech evals may be fun for you too. I used to do these jobs when I lived there, you get to brainstorm, get specialists in place, find new technology and leave when you want to move onto a new case.Look at: RCIL - Resource Center for Independent Living
Resource for Independent Living in Utica, New York for info. Great place, good resource for info.

[happycarol]

RCIL - Resource Center for Independent Living

I worked for this center years back where there are great jobs with that job description, although they work with any type of disability, not just autism.A great resource for you because of their library and the people who have developed the job positions within the government standards and budget. You may want to look online at the program to get some ideas from our experiences. They also have an amazing library, perhaps you can get some info although I do not know if they have any international contacts, they go out of their way to be helpful.

[Visionary7903]

Detour to: Specialisterne in developing countries

…

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Specialisterne (‘the Specialists’ in Danish) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks.

Bruce Gutlove is the Managing Director of Coco Farm & Winery in Ashikaga, Japan. This winery is unique in that it is made up of over 100 employees who have developmental or cognitive disabilities including severe mental retardation, autism, Down’s syndrome, and emotional disabilities. It is able to compete on the general market and is considered to be high quality in Japan.

Some interesting quotes from the press that I found reminiscent of the way the strengths of Autistics are being harnessed by Specialisterne in Software Testing:

…As far as the pairing of autism with winemaking, it is a natural fit.
“Autistic people are very detail-oriented. They like the repetitive work and so some of this works very, very well with their personalities…”

…Such attention to detail is a characteristic of autism and a requirement for some Coco Farm tasks, such as applying labels to bottles. Some students have mastered the winery’s bottling line, which requires a worker to add empty bottles to a fast-moving mechanical line and remove filled ones at precise intervals…

The philosophy behind Coco Farm is somewhat similar to that of the relatively high functioning workforce at Specialisterne:

…As touched upon at the start of the paper, the economy of Coco Farm has a different basis than that of modern society which rests on making more, working faster, and generating greater efficiency. Kawata says, “It seems to me that we are pursuing maximum efficiency in everything, and shunting aside those who cannot keep up with the pace of others in the competitive labor force—which will not lead to human happiness.” Coco Farm’s wine- making is the polar opposite of pursuit of profit at the expense of humanity, and is economic activity that places humans at the center. In this way of thinking, the well-being of the laborers takes precedence over efficiency. In other words, sacrifices in the present for the sake of the future are not made, and each person’s “here and now” is given priority…

…Another staff member said, “That’s okay if people are not able to perform heavy labor; there is definitely something at the school that the students should be doing at this moment.” At Coco Farm, one can say that human beings are not made to fit the economy, but that there is an “economy with a human face” being realized in which the economy is made to fit human beings…

(sources: Autistic winemakers crafting fine vintages in Japan - CNN; Hotei friend Bruce Gutlove makes cover of Wall St Journal!; http://www.nier.go.jp/hidekim/ESD/BenevolentEconomy.pdf)

[Visionary7903]

Specialisterne (‘the Specialists’ in Danish) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Their consultants bring the joy of work into areas where it is often missing today.
(source: Better, faster… and no office politics: the company with the autistic specialists - Features, Health & Families - The Independent)

Likewise, a non-intensive farm environment (as per the below example) may be especially suitable for training those individuals at more severe points on the Autistic Spectrum.

Owned by Lydia Otter (a special needs teacher), the Pennyhooks Project in Wiltshire, England works with over 30 young people with Autism. Most of Pennyhooks’ students are on the severe end of the Spectrum: they have little or social ability or communcation and a difficulty in making sense of the world. Aged 13–27, they visit for between 1–5 days a week…

…learning skills including animal husbandry, conservation, health and safety and social interaction. People with autism, who often have very limited communication and are locked into their own world, find it very hard to cope with large groups of people, noise and change so the predictable, gentle nature of life on the farm suits them well and is the perfect setting for the project, which offers a recognised qualification in the Countryside Stewardship Course.

The motto at the Pennyhooks Project is “Success leads to success” and students’ development on the course is taken in tiny steps, with each small success a stepping stone to the next achievement. Lydia’s years in education have helped her develop a huge range of teaching materials that can be accessed by people with diverse communication needs, and a typical day on the farm is split between worksheet-based learning and discussion, and hands-on experience of the daily routines of the farm, which includes feeding and caring for the animals, tending and conserving the land and preparing firewood. The young people learn skills such as pushing a barrow, fetching and carrying and using simple tools that can then be used in other areas of life. People with autism often struggle with conceptual ideas so being able to see, for example, the development of chickens from eggs, or growing vegetables to make soup, makes it much easier to understand the process. The course offers a holistic learning experience both on the farm and in the “classroom” … a purpose-built facility … offering a safe, comfortable and homely environment.

Since the Project has been running Lydia and her [staff] have been delighted by the positive response of the young people who attend, many of whom first came whilst at school and have stayed on as young adults. They’ve observed real gains in self confidence, sense of well-being and social and practical skills. Autistic people are often highly agitated and frustrated but the quiet atmosphere of the farm seems to have a calming affect on everyone and parents comment that their children sleep better and are more able to cope with life in the real world thanks to the Pennyhooks Project…

(sources: http://www.soilassociation.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=ztPqPAxyTO0%3D&tabid=197; http://files3.peopleperhour.com/uploads/Portfolio-33082-Pennyhooks%20Farm.doc)

[Visionary7903]

Specialisterne (‘the Specialists’ in Danish) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Their consultants bring the joy of work into areas where it is often missing today.
(source: Better, faster… and no office politics: the company with the autistic specialists - Features, Health & Families - The Independent)

Likewise, an environment like the one being promoted by the Humana Gardenworks program is designed to be especially suited to those with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The program offers individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders hands-on garden and landscape training that should give them skills they can use to give them future financial independence. Training includes providing basics of landscape maintenance, sustainable landscaping, permaculture, herb/vegetable garden and water harvesting techniques; as well as growing, preparing and selling products from the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center’s (SARRC) organic garden and greenhouse…

…The program also called for the promotion of partnerships with local landscaping and gardening organizations for the purpose gaining training resources and potential job opportunities… According to Humana gardenworks program coordinator Brad Herron, a significant effort was made during the development of the program’s curriculum to move beyond the basics of gardening and create a program that met the needs of an Arizona environment and lifestyle.

“Partnering with az Homegrown Solutions and the Watershed Management Group, we developed a curriculum that embraced sustainable landscaping and water management, two important elements to consider in Arizona,” Herron said. Gardenworks graduate Erik Diehn has utilized his experience to set up a new home herb planter. “The skills I learned in gardenworks have been quite useful, as my mother is currently away and I am tending to her garden, especially her tomato plant, which has needed a lot of care,” Diehn said. Beyond practical job skills, participants have developed friendships outside gardenworks, a sign that the program is working on several levels. “I see emails exchanged and groups getting together to socialize. That’s amazing progress,” Herron said. Over the past year, the participants of Humana gardenworks have planted citrus trees, herbs, melons and all manner of vegetables. More than two dozen adults with autism have graduated from the program since its inception, and more than 75 volunteers have worked side-by-side with participants. Many of the program’s products, including planters, are available for purchase at the Desert Botanical Garden and Pearson & Company in Scottsdale. The herbs grown in the garden are used in the soups created by culinaryworks ® , another sarrc vocational program. Gardenworks will offer landscaping and water harvesting services in 2011 to commercial entities and homeowners. Working with Watershed Management Group, program participants will build cisterns, capturing more than 80,000 gallons of water. Sarrc will become one of the few water harvesting demonstration sites in Arizona…

(sources: Autism Vocational and Life Skill Training;
SARRC; GLAZFeb_2011)

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Specialisterne (‘the Specialists’ in Danish) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Their consultants bring the joy of work into areas where it is often missing today.

**While Specialisterne is designed to compete on the open market (rather than being a ‘sheltered workshop’/charity), it also accepts external funding and grants. **Prior to the social enterprise opening up in Iceland for example, the Specialisterne Iceland project received generous funding from the European Union’s initiative, Lifelong Learning Programme (Leonardo grant). Likewise, at least 700,000 [pounds] in government grants and loans were awarded prior to the opening of Specialisterne Scotland.
(sources: https://sites.google.com/site/specialisterne20102012/; Jobs cash for people with autism in Scotland - BBC News)

Similarly, in October 2009, Mark El-Tawil, president of Humana of Arizona, named the Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) as the winner of a $100,000 grant funded by the health benefits company. SARRC used the funds to create the Humana Gardenworks program.

The ten week training series offers individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders hands-on garden and landscape training that should give them skills they can use to give them future financial independence. Training includes basics of caring of commercial, public and residential landscape spaces; as well as growing, preparing and selling products from SARRC’s organic garden and greenhouse…

…The program also called for the promotion of partnerships with local landscaping and gardening organizations for the purpose gaining training resources and potential job opportunities… According to Humana GardenWorks program coordinator Brad Herron, a significant effort was made during the development of the program’s curriculum to move beyond the basics of gardening and create a program that met the needs of an Arizona environment and lifestyle.

“Partnering with az Homegrown Solutions and the Watershed Management Group, we developed a curriculum that embraced sustainable landscaping and water management, two important elements to consider in Arizona,” Herron said. GardenWorks graduate Erik… has utilized his experience to set up a new home herb planter. “The skills I learned in gardenworks have been quite useful, as my mother is currently away and I am tending to her garden, especially her tomato plant, which has needed a lot of care,” [Erik] said. Beyond practical job skills, participants have developed friendships outside gardenworks, a sign that the program is working on several levels. “I see emails exchanged and groups getting together to socialize. That’s amazing progress,” Herron said. Over the past year, the participants of Humana GardenWorks have planted citrus trees, herbs, melons and all manner of vegetables. More than two dozen adults with autism have graduated from the program since its inception, and more than 75 volunteers have worked side-by-side with participants. Many of the program’s products, including planters, are available for purchase at the Desert Botanical Garden and Pearson & Company in Scottsdale. The herbs grown in the garden are used in the soups created by CulinaryWorks, another [SARRC] vocational program. GardenWorks will offer landscaping and water harvesting services in 2011 to commercial entities and homeowners. Working with Watershed Management Group, program participants will build cisterns, capturing more than 80,000 gallons of water. [SARRC] will become one of the few water harvesting demonstration sites in Arizona…

(sources: (http://issuu.com/greenlivingaz/docs/_glaz1.6feb_digitalbook))

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Specialisterne (‘the Specialists’ in Danish) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Their consultants bring the joy of work into areas where it is often missing today.

There has been quite a bit of interest from researchers in the social enterprise. Robert Austin, Professor at Copenhagen Business School and Associate Professor at Harvard Business School, uses the Specialisterne story as a case study in his classes. Austin first learned about Specialisterne from Jonathan Wareham of ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain; the two cowrote the case with Javier Busquets, also of ESADE.
(source: Inclusive Employment - United Way Greater Toronto)

Indeed, Specialisterne is definitely not the only work/living environment for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders which provides opportunities for researchers.

The “Cascina Rossago” project in Italy aims at supporting individuals affected by medium to serious forms of Autism who are partially autonomous. The first Italian farm community for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders, there is capacity for 24 individuals with the condition. Cascina Rossago, located in the Oltrepo Pavese hills in northern Italy, opened in May 2002. Individual programs based on behavioural programs are integrated in the farm community activities - there is a day time ratio of at least 1:2 Autistic individuals to others (including student trainees)…

…The residents of Cascina Rossago are supported by about 50 carers, educators, nurses and other workers. The autistic people raise the animals, pick mushrooms, grow fruit and vegetables, work in the joinery, in the ceramics workshop and on the loom in the weaving-room, where the wool from the alpaca is gathered. The products are then sold at markets. They also produce brochures and posters, wash cars and play jazz in a band, the Orchestra Invisibile (Invisible Orchestra). They have recorded a CD and held a concert to raise funds.

…Among [those] working at the farm are many young researchers, because the centre is also an observation post studying the neuropsychological and biological aspects of autism and providing data to the scientific research community…

(sources: http://www.appda-lisboa.org.pt/congresso/files/Posters_resumos.pdf; http://www.autismontario.com/Client/ASO/AO.nsf/object/2007_09_11_&_21_Autism_Connect/$file/2007_09_11_&_21_Autism_Connect.pdf[GLAZFeb_2011](http://issuu.com/greenlivingaz/docs/_glaz1.6feb_digitalbook))

[Visionary7903]

Specialisterne (‘the Specialists’ in Danish) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Their consultants bring the joy of work into areas where it is often missing today.

There has been quite a bit of interest from researchers in the social enterprise. Robert Austin, Professor at Copenhagen Business School and Associate Professor at Harvard Business School, uses the Specialisterne story as a case study in his classes. Austin first learned about Specialisterne from Jonathan Wareham of ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain; the two cowrote the case with Javier Busquets, also of ESADE.
(source: Inclusive Employment - United Way Greater Toronto)

Indeed, Specialisterne is definitely not the only work/living environment for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders which provides opportunities for researchers.

The “Cascina Rossago” project in Italy aims at supporting individuals affected by medium to serious forms of Autism who are partially autonomous. The first Italian farm community for those with Autism Spectrum Disorders, there is capacity for 24 individuals with the condition. Cascina Rossago, located in the Oltrepò Pavese hills in northern Italy, opened in May 2002. Individual programs based on behavioural programs are integrated in the farm community activities - there is a day time ratio of 1:2 Autistic individuals to others (including student trainees)…

…The residents of Cascina Rossago are supported by about 50 carers, educators, nurses and other workers. The autistic people raise the animals, pick mushrooms, grow fruit and vegetables, work in the joinery, in the ceramics workshop and on the loom in the weaving-room, where the wool from the alpaca is gathered. The products are then sold at markets. They also produce brochures and posters, wash cars and play jazz in a band, the Orchestra Invisibile (Invisible Orchestra). They have recorded a CD and held a concert to raise funds.

…Among [those] working at the farm are many young researchers, because the centre is also an observation post studying the neuropsychological and biological aspects of autism and providing data to the scientific research community…

(sources:http://www.appda-lisboa.org.pt/congresso/files/Posters_resumos.pdf; http://www.autismontario.com/Client/ASO/AO.nsf/object/2007_09_11_&_21_Autism_Connect/$file/2007_09_11_&_21_Autism_Connect.pdf)

[Visionary7903]

Specialisterne (‘the Specialists’ in Danish) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Their consultants bring the joy of work into areas where it is often missing today.
(source: Better, faster… and no office politics: the company with the autistic specialists - Features, Health & Families - The Independent)

Similarly, all tasks and activities at the Life Farm are performed by persons with Autism, together with occupational therapists and care assistants, and the work they do brings them joy and satisfaction. The Life Farm is located in Więckowice village in the vicinity of Krakow, Poland, and it is a centre of the Community of Hope Foundation. Established in 1998, the Community of Hope Foundation has a mission to provide assistance to people suffering from Autism and related developmental disorders, as well as their families. The Life Farm is a permanent residence for those persons, also serving as a centre for their rehabilitation, therapy, and work…

A good video on the Life Farm, with English subtitles, is located at the bottom of the following link: Fundacja Wspólnota Nadziei - Community of Hope Foundation

…Another project, entitled: “Towards a social enterprise – a pilot project of job activation for persons with autism” is a preparatory one.
…The goal of the project is to create a “seed” for the future social enterprise, in which persons with autism shall be employed, under the guidance of job coaches and supported by assistants. Persons with autism and their assistants in the ‘Life Farm’ already grow and harvest natural, environmentally friendly products. We are planning that these organic foods shall be offered for sale in “seasonal packages” – on subscription basis and/or via the Internet, initially to the Farm’s friends and collaborators, and in the future, also to other Customers.

…Persons with autism, supported by their assistant therapists and job coaches, shall produce the food at the Farm, as well as packaging for these products (in the existing workshop at the hostel). They will also be involved in the confection and packaging of products, and, finally, deliveries to Customers. This will enable their activation and rehabilitation – both general social rehabilitation and work-related one – in many various situations and on many different levels.

Both high– and low-functioning persons with autism are involved in these activities. High-functioning persons, that is, the more independent ones, will gradually adjust to the idea of running a “social enterprise”, they will have a chance to understand the value of money, and they will perform more ambitious tasks – in their case we can talk about job activation. Those low-functioning persons will perform more simple and less “demanding” tasks – in their case this will be more of social rehabilitation, and therapy through work…

(source: ang_folder-1.pdf from Fundacja Wspólnota Nadziei - Community of Hope Foundation)

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Specialisterne (‘the Specialists’ in Danish) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Their consultants bring the joy of work into areas where it is often missing today.

Potential Specialisterne consultants undergo a five month process where the profile of skills of each individual trainee is assessed and then matched to potential job options.
(source: Harnessing the Power of ASD | Asperger Syndrome Management)

Similarly, the Community of Hope Foundation in Poland is focused on creating work that is adjusted to the potential and needs of adults on the Autistic Spectrum:

…The necessary range of support varies greatly from individual to individual, but in each case the presence of another person is a necessary requirement: either a job trainer, a supporting assistant, or an instructor in a given profession (gardener, carpenter, or artist-designer), a psychologist, therapist, advisor, a “job coach” or a volunteer – all these persons form the Foundation’s Team of Assistants and Therapists.

Again we should note a variety of projects involved. Not all persons with autism have identical employment potential. For some, professional training, and an attempt to enter the open job market is an option, for others, work in a protected environment will be possible, and for others still, rehabilitation with some work therapy elements will be appropriate. We must not forget about those who need mostly care or nursing services, coupled with support for a better independence in basic life skills.

The largest venture so far in which the Foundation participated, and which concerned work and social activation of adults with autism… focused on testing the employment potential of persons with autism, in terms of performance, efficiency, learning abilities, group work, resistance to external distractions, precision, perseverance, and motivation.

Experiences gained from the aforementioned project inspired us to start thinking about ‘Life Farm’ as a possible social enterprise, that is, a place which in the future may offer employment possibilities to adults with autism. We are thinking also about practical vocational training and introducing the most able and talented persons with autism to the job market at large…

(source: ang_folder-1.pdf from Fundacja Wspólnota Nadziei - Community of Hope Foundation)

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Specialisterne (‘the Specialists’ in Danish) seeks to harness strengths that many people with Autism Spectrum Disorders possess - good attention to fine details, precision, and high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Their consultants bring the joy of work into areas where it is often missing today. Specialisterne’s model was so successful that it has been replicated in Scotland and Iceland. Furthermore, other companies have been founded in various countries following a similar approach to Specialisterne.
(source: Better, faster… and no office politics: the company with the autistic specialists - Features, Health & Families - The Independent)

Similarly, Ireland’s Dunfirth Farm has been a model in social care whose philosophy has been replicated in a number of new developments in that country (indeed it served as an inspiration for the venture in Poland, mentioned in the above posts). Dunfirth, established in 1983, is a 70 acre farm situated 30 miles from Dublin in County Kildare. It now has a population of 34 People with Autism supported by approximately 60 well trained dedicated staff…

The basis of the philosophy of the Dunfirth Commune is “identifying” the personalities of autistic persons, establishing their capacities, according to their abilities and personal dignity, for profiting from education, training, care, and participation in the development of the commune. …Daily occupations are organized according to an intensive program, alternating training (instruction) with work and rest. The type of main activity one will engage in is planned individually: work on the farm (production of organic food, which is then sold in neighboring groceries and hotels), weaving, pottery, work in the kitchen, and other auxiliary jobs, such as wall painting etc…

…Drugs are administered for medical reasons exclusively; they are not used for behavior correcting or control. This is achieved through training and adjusting the patient to the [Dunfirth Commune] conditions (the results are said to be astonishing). In case of the appearance of new symptoms (obsessions, etc.) the personnel strive to modify the patient’s environment, and wait with patient watchfulness for the symptoms to recede.
The expected result of the therapy is that the patient will achieve a status in the Commonwealth and think of himself as a farmer, a cook, a weaver, a painter etc…

(sources: News; NIFCA)

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Similar to some of the other to the other European work communes for people with Autism mentioned above, La Pradelle is a French center founded in 1987. The philosophy of the 60 acre site based in Saumane, France aims to provide Autistic persons a chance for as interesting a life as possible, resembling the life of any neurotypical person. To treat them as persons with different possibilities rather than as people with different mind disturbances…

…According to the La Pradelle philosophy, “life in the commune and com-munal team work may break down the residents’s isolation. Through work, active leisure time, communication, changes occur both inside and outside the Center…”

La Pradelle is supported both by state [Centre for Assisted Work] and local funds. The budget is supplemented by the income from the sale of vegetables, fruit, bread, cakes, and cured meats, as well as from renting guest rooms and from the income of the restaurant. The residents’s salaries are also included in the budget.
La Pradelle community is organized around work. Work is the foundation of social contacts, the development of communication, and of social principles.
…There is a great demand for La Pradelle products among the neighboring population. They are supplied to the local groceries (baked goods, cookies, cured meats). Once a week the products are sold at the market, and also locally at the [Centre for Assisted Work]…

(source: NIFCA)

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Another European work farm for people with Autism Spectrum Disorders is the Bremen Project’s Meyerwiede Farm in Germany. Some of the advantages of agricultural activities for Autistics are mentioned in the section on the Farm on the NIFCA (Network of International Farm Communities for Autism) site…

…Agricultural activities take place in the open air. For this reason they are well suited to the motor needs of autistic adults and promote certain motor processes that do not correspond to the stereotypes, compulsive behavioral patterns, and rituals peculiar to particular individuals. This becomes quite evident during work breaks and less structured leisure situations. During these periods, stereotypical, ritualistic behavior reappears in most farm residents. The need to orient oneself to the times of the day (e.g., opening up the stalls in the morning) and to the seasons of the year (planting time, harvest time) requires a different way of putting rhythm into farm life and the order of events there. This holds true not only for the residents, but also for the co-workers, who have to adapt to these given elements of life in their daily work as well…

(source: http://www.autismnet.net/farms/bremen/significance.html)

[Visionary7903]

In the Netherlands, the 0.8 acre workhome Dr. Leo Kannerhuis in Wolfheze is a community for adults with autism:

…Wolfheze [is] the first farmstead in the Netherlands for adults with autism, created as an extension of the Dr. Leo Kannerhuis project…

Here is a link to a dance performance choreographed by Adriaan Luteijn, artistic manager of Introdans Interaction, with dancers and residents of the farmstead:
http://www.introdans.nl/en/profusers_nieuwsarchief_spec.asp?p=43&id=446

(source: www.autismo-br.com.br/home/Artig041.htm)

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ASEPAC is an association based in Barcelona, Spain that provides help to people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. The organisation provides a number of services for people severely affected with autism, on land in La Garriga, including a centre for occupational therapy and work with support (TERLAB)…

…TERLAB OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY CENTRE
This centre began its activities in 1987 in order to satisfy the needs of adolescents and adults with autistic disorders. The centre can take up to 40 people.
TERLAB aims to provide these people with a therapy which is suited to their needs and work according to their possibilities.
The installations of TERLAB consist of 1,400 m2 of workshops, a 1,000 m2 greenhouse and 13,000 m2 of agricultural land.
After 1998, whilst involved in a project sponsored by the Catalan Autonomous Government Department of Work and the European Union, ASEPAC carried out a pioneer experiment concerning work with support for people with autism.
At the end of the project, the following conclusions were reached :

• Adults severely affected with autism can benefit from real work with support.
• Activities must be previously and carefully selected.
• Programmes must include specific techniques and methodologies.
• Carrying out these programmes increases the monitors’ motivation.

These programmes provide very useful and efficient therapeutic tools when treating people with autism. In particular, the programmes were responsible for an improvement in all their basic work skills and lessened the behavioural problems associated with autistic disorders…

(source: http://www.autismconsulting.com/html/services1.html)

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Mas Casadevall is another Adult Autism Centre located in North Eastern Spain. Here Adam Feinstein, Editor of Looking Up*, reports on a 2001 visit he made to Mas Casadevall as part of a major conference in Barcelona devoted to biomedical and educational interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorders…

*Looking Up is a monthly international Autism newsletter

…Mas Casadevall is situated about 70 miles from Barcelona, heading north towards the French border, and just a couple of miles from Banyoles. The setting is stunning…
Mas Casadevall is an admirable enterprise. It was set up in 1987, on the initiative of a group of parents horrified at how little care as available in Cataluna - or any other area of Spain for that matter - for adults with autism.
At the moment, there are 18 adults with low-functioning autism living at the centre, with another eight coming in during the day. It is open 365 days a year.
The first thing we did was to eat in the atmospheric, wooden-beamed restaurant. The excellent food was served by an autistic waiter, Antonio, a man with a broad grin and even broader-rimmed glasses. He was actually born in Brussels, but his parents moved to Cataluna and he speaks both Castilian and Catalan - but with the same halting delivery. When he was told I was English, he even tried a few words of that. Very impressive.
But by no means all the residents at the centre can speak…
…I was shown round the workshops, where the residents make paper, beautiful ceramics and candles. They are not just for show, either: the autistic residents take part in the Banyoles market every week, selling their products. There’s also a shop open to all at the centre itself, and professional artists turn up to buy the paper made here.
…The director of Mas Casadevall is Francesc Pelach i Busom.
…Juan Martos is head of the Leo Kanner Centre in Madrid and probably knows as much about autism as anyone in Spain… Martos added: “It is fundamental to adapt the surroundings to fit the child with autism, and not the other way round.”…

(source: Building bridges between the educational and the biomedical)

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Somerset Court in Brent Knoll, Somerset, England, was the original farmstead for adults with Autism founded in 1974 by Sybil Elgar…

…Living [at Somerset Court] gives adults with autism the opportunity to lead fulfilling and increasingly independent lives in an ideal and beautiful environment.

…Within the grounds are five day service centres offering special skill training in horticulture, woodwork, communication, creative arts and socialising.

The day activities provide a therapeutic and constructive use of time, and encourage independence, self-confidence and personal skill development in individual and social functioning. The specific barriers which inhibit full participation in society are challenged in the specialised activities and houses, with staff who are aware of the benefits of providing a standard frame work, are positive, have empathy, understand and implement low arousal techniques and help each resident form productive links with the community.

For hundreds of people with autism, [Somerset Court’s support] helps to make the difference between isolation or family dependence and the chance to lead a full, independent life

(source: http://www.silverliningcohousing.org/resourcefiles/ourchildren.pdf)

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In the United States, SustainAbility is a newly established one-acre farm located at the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay, Long Island…

When Wendy … 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.

…Wendy and Rachel come [to the SustainAbility Farm] 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.”

…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.”

Here is a video showing the farm: SustainAbility Farm - Spring 2011 - YouTube

(source: SustainAbility: NY Farm Gives Adults With Autism ‘A Life’s Work’)