The Autism Resilience Network identifies clients to help meet their specific needs.

RENO, NV (KOLO) – Autism Resilience Network supports people with autism and related conditions by meeting their unique needs and building resilience.

They implement two programs to support people with autism or similar diseases:

Emergency program. The emergency program allows us to meet small emergency needs throughout the year. This could be things like a bus pass, a copay for a doctor’s visit, or help with your electric bill.
Sue Milos Joy program. Candidates are asking for help in purchasing a product or service that will make a positive, long-term difference in their lives. Community members review requests and decide how they want to help!

Cady Stanton, Executive Director, stopped by during the morning break to talk about this year’s honorees selected for the Joy of Sue Milosz program.

Antonio (he/him)

Antonio is a young man with autism who currently shares a double mattress on the floor in the room he shares with his two brothers. His provider contacted us to say that she was concerned that this was negatively impacting all three brothers, as none of them were getting enough quality sleep to function well during the day.

Antonio writes: “My name is Antonio, I am 18 years old, I live with my aunt, cousins and two brothers. I am currently working towards my high school diploma. My favorite lesson is English, because for me it is the most interesting and simplest. I will work at the dog shelter on Mondays and Fridays at my school to start saving money for the future. When I graduate from high school, I would like to go to college to study computer programming. I really enjoy playing video games, my favorite game right now is Call of Duty, which I love to play on the PlayStation 5. My favorite color is green. I enjoy watching movies, especially Spider-Man: Across the Web. Since I’m still in school and can’t work full time, it can sometimes be difficult to have enough money for the things I need and want. I would really like to have some posters and a new TV in my bedroom. I would also like to have a dresser to put clothes in and a new bed that I don’t have to share. Sometimes I stop breathing in my sleep, so it is very important to have a good bed where I can sleep in the right position.”

Asking: $1,400 for the following: ● A bunk bed (two single beds instead of a double) that will give all three young people somewhere to sleep (about $600); ● Twin mattress and full mattress (about $600); ● Bedding, consisting of two sets of sheets, two blankets and four pillows (about $200). Antonio is happy to share before and after photos of the room he shares with his brothers!

Alix (they/them)

Alix is a young woman with autism who is completing a four-year dual degree course and obtaining a teaching certificate with the goal of becoming a high school teacher. They worked as a substitute teacher for two years to cover living expenses and gain real-world experience that would help prepare them for their careers. Alix is deeply passionate about her education and the education and lives of the students she teaches. The students they have taught often seek them out, despite only knowing them for a limited time as a substitute teacher, because Alix is so empathetic and empathetic to each student’s individual needs.

Alix’s high level of empathy is a natural characteristic of their personality, which is enhanced by their own life experiences and awareness of how difficult life can be for the four students. They faced many serious health problems as children. They were later placed in foster care. Their childhood was characterized by pain, fear and chronic stress. They now live independently, coping with their autism, completing their studies and working. They have two dogs and a cat, which provide them with a critical level of emotional connection and support that helps them keep going despite long days, exhaustion and constant financial stress.

Alix’s support in this process will not only help them, but will also benefit many students they teach in the future. Alix’s deep care for her students, combined with their own love of learning and ability to persevere under very difficult circumstances, will be a gift to every student they meet.

Ask for: Donations of food and other supplies for three animals (details on type of food and bedding will be provided), plus $800 to be held in reserve by the Autism Resiliency Network for regular veterinary care and any unexpected health concerns. which may arise. may occur in their animals in the future.

Ari (they/them)

We hope the community can come together and provide Ari with a working laptop. Their laptop broke three years ago and they couldn’t afford to replace it.

Ari writes: “I’m a writer, editor, and artist who sells self-published work, writes articles, and does art commissions, and life would be different if I had a laptop to work with. I just used physical notepads and a notes app on my phone. I hope to one day dedicate myself to writing and drawing full time so I can quit the customer service job I struggle with.”

Ari experienced difficulties from early childhood.

Ari says: “I couldn’t get my mouth to make sounds and I was formatting sentences incorrectly. I was in and out of speech therapy. When I was five years old, my kindergarten teacher wanted to detain me or place me in a special institution. She literally used the R-word to describe me.”

As teenagers, they had problems communicating with peers. Like many autistic people, they rarely had friends; people they considered their friends laughed at them. When they appeared strange, their family rejected them. They had been working in minimum wage customer service jobs for the past few years, which left them in constant financial straits. They share a two-room apartment with three other people.

Ari enjoys fine art, sculpting, painting, writing and editing. They are avid readers and have an incredible personal library with a DI bookshelf taking up an entire wall.

They write: “I would use this every day. I would bring it almost anywhere. I’m currently trying to organize all my writing into two or three themes and may be looking to self-publish a book of all the writing I’ve written and a novella. Having a laptop will make things much easier and faster, and will also improve my creativity. My mind doesn’t accept the phone as the only way to write poetry. I’m hoping that if I can get better at writing and, ideally, if I can teach art programs, that would be great. If I could do both of these tasks consistently, I would hopefully be able to step away from customer service work a bit. This will ease my workload and stress. The laptop will also help me get back to school and access my school records in one place.”

Asking: $1,000 towards the purchase of a laptop with Windows 11 and Photoshop or similar software for digital art commissions. They’re going back to school, so the laptop needs to be of acceptable quality and last several years.

Michael (he/him)

Michael is a 23-year-old autistic adult who is a joy to talk to. During our conversation, his eyes sparkle and he laughs easily, but most of the time he covers his mouth, and I never see him smile. He explains that he is embarrassed because he is missing a front tooth.

Michael lives in an apartment building and really wants to find a job. He would like to become a technician or digital artist. However, he is now open to any job opportunity. His mentor contacted him and explained that he had completed seven interviews but had received no job offers. His mentor said: “Despite the best haircuts and clothes I can help him put on to make him look ready for work, he can’t get a job with a gaping hole in his mouth. Living in 2024 is already hard enough as a black autistic young man, but once you see he’s missing a front tooth, you can make a lot of assumptions that won’t benefit his self-esteem or his future.”

The insurance company denied his request for a tooth replacement five times, saying the missing tooth was only a cosmetic issue and therefore not covered. He does not have access to any other resources to help replace his tooth.

Ask: Approximately $1,500 to replace a front tooth. His mentor is working to get a final estimate from the dentist and we will update his information with the exact amount as soon as it becomes available.

To help the Autistic Resilience Network with any of these requests, Click here.