Mary Ann Speech

This is an edited version of a speech Mary Ann gave on October 24^th at DEAM12, the Direct Employers Association Meeting, we used her notes to come up with the text.

Everyone likes a success story, so i want to share one with you today. But the road to success always has its challenges. “Autism” and “challenges” are two words which go hand and hand we have all heard of autism, and when we do we all think of research and children.

But these children grow up, and they still have autism. Within the next 10 years, more than 500,000 children with autism will reach adulthood. Currently, 1 in 3 young adults with autism have no paid job experience, college, or technical school, nearly seven years after graduating from high school.   That is a poorer showing than those with other disabilities, including those who are mentally disabled.

This grim reality seriously worries parents about the prospects of their children finding long term employment. Autism and the job market equals a person who generally has difficulties understanding social cues and body language that can make others uncomfortable.  Their social skills are weak, and staying on task can be a challenge so employment is a tough road to conquer.  Understandably, employers have concerns.

So where is that success story…?

Paul Foti, is that success story.  My brother, Paul, taught me the gift of patience, of love, and an overwhelming need to find a solution to this problem—his problem, my problem — our problem.

I’d like to introduce you to an innovative program that is teaching life skills and vocational opportunities targeted specifically for this underserved population, “Seeds for Autism.” This particular programs goal is centered on development and growth to take these adults from learning to earning. Seeds strategy is based on providing diversity and leadership which develops and recruits the talents and strengths of Autism.

We are a staff and volunteer base of career artists who teach our individual skills, one on one, working right beside our participants — together — thus opening the door to opportunities and real versatile skills, using real tools of the trade.

These skills include: welding, woodworking, wood turning, jewelry making, sewing, ceramics, furniture making, and so much more — all with a marketable finished products to sell.

This is not an arts and crafts program; or a day program that would repeat the same repetitious task over and over all day long, we are preparing our participants with real experiences and empowering them with genuine work related scenarios.

Seeds is a nonprofit, but we understand the realities of being a business, we teach by working together to find marketable products that everyone together then make and sell, in order to generate income for sustainability.  Our goal is to create jobs and employment for our adults.  

Seeds is providing genuine life skills including: team work, confidence, staying on task, socialization, independent work skills, stronger hand and eye coordination, these adults are making friends, and coping with solutions to mishaps- and generating answers.

Now I want to remind each of you, that it takes partnership and commitment from a community to take this program forward towards real success. We can teach the skills, but it takes the open mindedness and willingness to step out and hire and recruit a group of people who may be different, but are working to find their voice.

Seeds has proven, we can train them with marketable skills; so that they can become a productive part of society.

Seeds is a program which was started to make a difference in Paul’s life, and has grown to touch the lives of over 38 individuals to date.  This has all been done in just a little over two and half years of operation

Currently, because of funding, we have not been able to operate at our full capacity, only Monday to Thursday and just from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00. Think of what we could accomplish if we could do this a normal work week. While we have made 17% of our income from the sales of our products, we still need the financial commitment from others so we can expand, and add the hours of which we can teach.

So, yes, while we may be small, we speak huge success, and hope to partner with more industries to continue growing and providing a future for our very special adults, and together.
Create a market from which they can excel and be given a realistic chance for employment.