In recognition of Autism Acceptance Month, Make Waves Family Foundation—a longtime First Place AZ champion and nonprofit equally committed to the cause—is TRIPLE MATCHING donations and directing the funds to the First Place Global Leadership Institute through Sunday, April 30. Make Waves “strives to fund the most innovative, scalable and replicable programs to address the needs of young adults on the Autism spectrum.”
First Place AZ is proud to announce the publication of its 2022 annual report, chock full of information on the status and steady progress of various major initiatives—along with a special glimpse into the everyday lives of the First Place–Phoenix residents and Transition Academy students we serve. And learn more about those who continue to make our commitment of “one first leads to the next” possible.
It’s been a busy April, thanks to the power of Autism Acceptance Month to enlighten and educate.
First Place AZ has teamed up with Waymo—the world’s first fully autonomous ride-hailing service—in a pilot involving their Phoenix fleet. A key part of our partnership is how Waymo’s services help First Place–Phoenix residents and Transition Academy students navigate the community in getting to and from their volunteering and jobs—an essential independent living skill. Learn more about how this amazing partnership is benefitting Waymo, First Place–Phoenix and the overall disability community by watching this cool video!
Huge thanks to our friends at Waymo and Let’s Talk Autonomous Driving for sharing this groundbreaking story!
Join us for one of several May Discover Days—virtually and in person—to learn more about the First Place Transition Academy, including the enrollment process for the class of 2023–25.
The First Place Transition Academy, a two-year, residential life skills program with clinical services provided by Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), is designed for adults ages 18 and older with autism to help them build crucial independent living and career-readiness skills. Located at First Place–Phoenix, the Transition Academy offers the Learn4Independence® curriculum and individualized supportive services to guide participants in maximize their ability to live more independently.
During Discover Days, learn more about the comprehensive curriculum; in-person attendees can tour the state-of-the-art property, and have a chance to speak with instructors and current students. Register to attend in person or online.
Goodmans Chair Hockey is back on Thursday, May 11 with proceeds to benefit First Place AZ! “Heated competition and raucous silliness are the order of the night” for one of the company’s most popular fundraising events, according to Goodmans. Sixteen teams of commercial real estate industry professionals battle for the title of Champion. The biscuits (pucks) will be flying, the stripes (refs) will be monitoring—and hopefully no lost chiclets (teeth)!
Established in 1954, Phoenix-based Goodmans—a longtime First Place champion—is the largest office furniture dealer in the Southwest through the strength of its employees and its offering of leading office furniture, seating, case goods and architectural wall solutions.
In her latest blog, Denise D. Resnik, First Place AZ founder & president/CEO, offers an apt childhood diving-board metaphor for addressing housing and community solutions for neurodiverse populations as she shares more about the first-ever Greater Phoenix Housing Market Analysis. Dive in here!
May 4 & 18: Virtual Transition Academy Discover Days
May 10 & 25: In Person Transition Academy Discover Days
Oct 18-20: 2023 Global Leadership Institute Symposium
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO
I remember my early days of learning how to dive from the big board. I practiced my form from the safety of the side of the pool. When I finally braved those reluctant steps to the diving board’s edge, I looked over to the lifeguard—who gave me the nod I needed—and then I dove in!
Before leaping into the water from such heights—or tackling anything new and challenging—it’s essential to surround ourselves with those who teach, train and spot us. We benefit from seeking out those with experience—including both success and failure—whom we trust to hold our hand when leaping into the “deep end.” This is especially important for those of us who have taken, or are considering taking, a dive into housing and community development for adults with autism and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities (A/I/DD).
We thank the dozens of Arizona leaders and stakeholders for joining and “spotting” us in producing the first-ever study to comprehensively address housing needs and preferences of adults living with A/I/DD and informing our collective next steps.
The 2022 Greater Phoenix Housing Market Analysis, conducted by the First Place Global Leadership Institute Make Waves Center for Community Development, was carefully planned and executed. We started by educating self-advocates and their families on their potential options as described in the guiding narrative set forth in First Place’s 2020 A Place in the World study. Then we collected market data through surveys offered in English, Spanish and plain language to identify barriers and explored how the public, private, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors can collaborate to respond to market demand.
“Meeting the housing needs of people with A/I/DD will result in a healthier and more stable population, which can significantly reduce Medicaid costs, increase quality of life, and prevent involuntary displacement and homelessness,” says Maureen Casey, director of the Colonel Harland Sanders Center for Applied Research and The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Center for Public Policy at the Institute.
Without options, members of the neurodiverse population lives with family members until a crisis forces rushed decisions, often with traumatic consequences for the individual and their family—and costly consequences for our state. Lack of housing options too often prevents them from moving beyond their family home as integrated, contributing members of society with the support of those who know them best. As with the neurotypical population, they seek homes that are safe, affordable, comfortable and conveniently located with proximity to necessities and interests. They, too, want “community.”
Developing homes and community for adults with A/I/DD must take into consideration varying levels of support, navigation and benefits. Market demand data, housing models that enable us to learn from lived experiences, and outcome and impact analyses provide insights into what members of this population need and want—and enable the design of a blueprint offering more realistic options.
This is our moment to stand for and with the underrepresented, underserved and underestimated through data, proof points and solutions—and together build more housing and community options for the special populations we serve.
Home isn’t simply comprised four walls. It dwells among people, places and moments, offering comfort and security, building strength and celebrating life’s successes. Home and community “spot” us through life as they prepare us for what’s next.
After you dive into this compelling report, we invite you to complete this brief questionnaire to let us know how you would like to get involved in spreading the word.
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO
Remember your firsts? Sure you do. That first love—and broken heart. Your first job and home—and all that followed to help you learn and grow.
During Autism Acceptance Month, I’m reminded of those who have made so many firsts possible over the years for our family at home, as well as First Place–Phoenix and the Global Leadership Institute.
As First Place AZ leaps into its second decade, the charitable nonprofit does so with greater confidence, capacity and collaboration. Together with trusted tri-sector leaders, including SARRC, we are setting the bar higher for how individuals learn, live and thrive as we fuel a new era of housing and community development for people with autism and other neurodiversities—in Arizona, throughout North America and around the world.
Through training and curricula, model properties and programs, data collection and impact analysis, we’re identifying what’s working—and what needs to work better. And through trusted champions across the U.S., we’re pursuing scalable, replicable and financially sustainable models, recognizing authentic community building happens locally and organically.
Our supportive community has opened doors and connected us with both like-minded and divergent organizations. It has enabled us to dream, innovate and ensure this all-too-often invisible population of adults with autism and other neurodiversities is accounted for and recognized based on needs and preferences—and not a diagnosis alone. Collaborations like those with Home Matters® to Arizona and the “Home is where it all starts” campaign encourage us to work together to address the broader housing crisis of affordability, accessibility and availability that impacts everyone.
We hope you enjoy this 2022 annual report offering insights into how individual and shared experiences express what’s possible for our loved ones. Whether a first swim, culinary delight or stage performance, we don’t experience it alone but with those who appreciate the power and potential of that first step.
Many have believed early and often in our first and next steps—and joined us in celebrating when we get it right. We’re grateful and inspired to do more!
First Place actors and supportive staff, ASU directing and production cast, family and friends in the audience—everyone take another bow! Frozen Jr., First Place’s second annual play, was a smashing success on Saturday, March 18 on the stage of Phoenix Center for the Arts. Months of preparations and rehearsals paid off as the actors embraced their roles and delivered their lines with enthusiasm and unfettered joy. The audience couldn’t have been prouder!
First Place friends from ASU’s theater program Jacob Buttry (director), Zoe Tyler (assistant director) and Ryan Ulrich (choreographer) returned this year to lead the way with professionalism, dedication and kindness in guiding the cast to their big night. And HUGE thanks to supportive community partner Arizona Commission on the Arts for the Lifelong Arts Engagement Grant that made another invaluable life-skills experience possible for First Place participants. Stay tuned for info on next year’s project!
First Place–Phoenix residents and Transition Academy students recently took a trip to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office Training Academy to participate in an autism awareness training session. Deputies and First Place participants took time getting to know each other and talking about the various roles of the MSCO in our community. Then they did some helpful role-playing, including what a traffic stop is like; how, when and what they should disclose about their disability when speaking with an officer; and what to do and say when calling 911 for an emergency. The highlight of the day was watching an MCSO helicopter land!
It’s always a positive experience working with local law enforcement as we build our supportive community and create greater awareness and understanding between neurodiverse individuals and officers.
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs has officially named March “Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month” in recognition of the abilities and contributions of Arizona individuals with a developmental disability. Thank you, Governor Hobbs, for your support!
The First Place Transition Academy recently held a Discover Day where individuals with autism and other neurodiversities and their families learned about the comprehensive, 32-course Learn4Independence® curriculum, toured First Place–Phoenix and spoke with current students and staff. Enrollment for the 2023-25 cohort is still open for a limited time. Register here or contact brad herron-valenzuela, managing director of the Transition Academy, at brad@firstplaceaz.org with questions.
Two new staff members have recently joined the growing First Place team.
Rebecca Bauer joins the Community Life team as a wellness specialist. Rebecca holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise and wellness, as well as a master’s degree in clinical exercise physiology. She has experience as a personal trainer and working with neurodiverse individuals. Rebecca’s role includes working with residents on nutrition and wellness education, grocery shopping, cooking and nutrition planning, as well as leading health and wellness activities…and more!
As our new midday concierge, Amanda Matthis brings extensive customer service experience and excellent organizational skills to the job, along with a deep understanding of individuals with neurodiversities.
First Place’s “Year of Exploration” sent residents to the Phoenix Zoo, a favorite year-round outing, to enjoy the beautiful Arizona spring weather—and explore!
The Centers for Disease Control has released a report stating that the rate of autism prevalence in the U.S. has jumped to one in 36 children receiving a diagnosis.
“Disruptions due to the pandemic in the timely evaluation of children and delays in connecting children to the services and support they need could have long-lasting effects,” said Karen Remley, MD, director of CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. “The data in this report can help communities better understand how the pandemic impacted early identification of autism in young children and anticipate future needs as these children get older.”
Denise D. Resnik, First Place AZ founder and president/CEO, spoke at the recent Arizona Housing Coalition Conference, where a new collaborative, multimedia housing campaign titled “Home is where it all starts” was launched—a concept near and dear to Denise’s heart that guides First Place–Phoenix. The goal is to educate the community at large on the disparities resulting from the growing lack of quality housing in our state.
Join us for an inspiring LNCS session with entrepreneur, advocate and author Tom D’Eri, who shares innovative insights from his recent book, The Power of Potential: How a Non-Traditional Workforce Can Lead You to Run Your Business Better.
Tom will share his story about launching Rising Tide Carwash that now employs more than 100 people at three car washes serving half a million people every year. Over 80% of Rising Tide’s staff have autism, which has led to the development of streamlined workplace systems that work better for everyone. Register to attend in person or online and learn more about how to develop and employ some of these same strategies.
First Place AZ is thrilled to announce public distribution of the long-awaited Greater Phoenix Housing Market Analysis (GPHMA). Download the comprehensive report with current data identifying the housing and support needs and preferences of adults with autism and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities and their family members/caregivers in English and/or Spanish.
Thanks to researchers at the First Place Global Leadership Institute—in collaboration with Arizona market leaders and advisors—Greater Phoenix now has valuable market data on residential demand. The goal is to educate developers to better understand the needs of all-too-often invisible special population and encourage more short-, medium- and long-term independent living housing solutions.
The GPHMA was made possible by the generous support of our sponsors: Make Waves Foundation, Bank of America, Stardust Foundation and Dominium.
One of our very own First Place–Phoenix residents, Lincoln Ragsdale, helped our community kick off Black History Month with some notable Arizona history, thanks to his grandfather’s courageous leadership! Following his career as one of the first Black Tuskegee Airmen, Lincoln Ragsdale Sr. became an influential leader of the civil rights movement in Phoenix. He was determined to achieve equality for all by speaking out on various reform efforts, including voting rights and the desegregation of school and neighborhoods—including his own.
After Lincoln’s presentation, residents and Transition Academy students participated in Black History Bingo to learn more about famous Black people in history and the incredible things they accomplished. It was a great morning of learning about local history and inspiring people determined to change our world for the better. Learn more about Lincoln Ragsdale Sr. and his lasting impact on the Phoenix community.
Each year, First Place–Phoenix creates an experiential theme through monthly activities based on the interests of residents and Transition Academy students. We’re excited to announce 2023’s “Year of Exploration!” Participants are encouraged to step out of their comfort zones to explore new experiences teaching them more about our local community and the world at large.
You can support the “Year of Exploration” through the Arizona tax credit and help adults with autism and other neurodiversities build more independent living and social skills. Donate to First Place AZ by Monday, April 18, 2023 for a dollar-for-dollar credit on your 2022 taxes; individuals can claim up to $400 and joint filers up to $800.
Help make exciting exploration experiences possible for the special populations we serve—and thank you for your support!
Valley mover-and-shaker mom Amy Silverman, executive producer of KJZZ’s weekday broadcast “The Show,” recently hosted “Love is always: a celebration of love, friendship and community for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities” at Changing Hands Bookstore in Phoenix. The gathering, sponsored by KJZZ and made possible through Amy’s national fellowship from the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, included storytelling and networking, along with an engaging panel of courageous adults with I/DD (including Harry, a resident who came with the First Place–Phoenix group!) eager to share their insights on creating a better community for all.
A busy community life calendar keeps First Place–Phoenix residents and staff on the move each month. Check out what they’re up to!
We’re excited to welcome two new talented and dynamic team members to First Place–Phoenix.
Josh Munoz joins us as the family & community outreach coordinator. Josh is working with First Place leadership to connect with past, present and future families, as well as support research, employment and public policy initiatives. Josh has more than 10 years of experience working with the ASD population as a senior behavior therapist with Valley organizations.
As vocation specialist, Kaylah McGown works with Natasha Grant, First Place director of workplace and community inclusion, to continue establishing partnerships with employers who celebrate DEI by employing individuals with a neurodiversity. Kaylah has extensive experience working with neurodiverse individuals as a direct support provider, special education instructional assistant and behavior technician.
We’re thrilled to have you both on board, Josh and Kaylah!
Floridian Carter Bonas is helping boost employment opportunities for individuals with autism and other neurodiversities. At just 10 years old, Carter has turned his passion for golf into a lucrative business—Spectrum Golf—selling nearly $7,000 in merchandise in 2021 and showing his gear at the 2022 PGA Show in Orlando. Learn more about Carter and Spectrum Golf here.
We’re thrilled that the Make Waves Family Foundation, a Boston-based foundation that empowers youth and adults living with Autism and other developmental disabilities, has made a $1 million gift over the next five years to the First Place Global Leadership Institute, creating the Make Waves Center for Community Development.
The Make Waves Center aims to fuel a new marketplace of supportive housing and community options through replicable, sustainable design, programming and development strategies. It seeks to raise the bar on the quality of life for people with Autism and other neurodiversities—and provide greater peace of mind for families.
In the coming year, the Make Waves Center will conduct four regional housing analyses in the U.S. to identify the housing needs and preferences of adults with Autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities (A/I/DD). The center is scheduled to release the Greater Phoenix Housing Market Analysis in February, which will inform the development of options responsive to population needs, as well as marketplace interests and priorities.
The Make Waves Family Foundation has also provided philanthropic support for First Place Transition Academy scholarships and curriculum development, advancement of the A Place in the World report and Global Leadership Institute symposia.
Our first LNCS session of 2023 with disability activist and writer Emily Ladau was engaging and thought provoking. Emily shared stories and insights from her recent book, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally. First Place family members Marlene and Jeff Goldfarb also facilitated a discussion with Emily and LNCS participants about parenting and the use of supportive decisions for setting realistic and collaborative goals. If you missed it, watch the recording here. Stay tuned for more information on the next LNCS gathering in April.
First Place–Phoenix Transition Academy graduate Brent Jackson was recently featured on an episode of “Kiddos in the Kitchen,” a podcast created by Kiddos Cook as part of their initiative to help kids and families develop healthier relationships with food. In the episode, Brent shares how his experience in the kitchen aligns with the independent living skills he learned at the Transition Academy—and how they all come together to help him lead a more fulfilling life.
At First Place–Phoenix, inclusion is not optional. It’s part of who we are as an organization—and as a team committed to learning. The right combination of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is required to make space for workplaces to thrive.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Natasha Grant, First Place Director of Workplace & Community Inclusion, the first Divergent Digest was released this month. Our monthly DEI newsletter is designed to provide relevant information about current events, topics and resources—and make team members more comfortable exploring sensitive topics that yield more conversation, action and inclusion.
“The road to understanding and measuring what makes First Place employees feel included takes everyone,” says Natasha. “I hope the Divergent Digest is another step in that direction.”
Thanks to a Lifelong Arts Engagement Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, rehearsals are ongoing for this spring’s production of “Frozen.” Residents and Transition Academy students are working hard on their parts—and having lots of fun in the process! ASU students—including First Place friends Jacob Buttry (director), Zoe Tyler (assistant director) and Ryan Ulrich (choreographer)—are leading the way. Jacob returns as director after the smashing success of First Place’s production of “The Wizard of Oz” last spring.
Huge thanks to supportive community partner ACA for making another valuable, beneficial life skills experience possible for our residents. Stay tuned for information on the big spring performance!
First Place AZ friend Tom D’Eri, founder of Rising Tide Car Wash, just released a powerful new book to help communities across the country create more meaningful jobs for people with autism and other neurodiversities. In The Power of Potential, Tom shares what he’s learned in ways that can be applied to any business, in any industry. Over 80% of Rising Tide Car Wash’s staff includes people with autism—and they’re thriving there. Congrats to Tom and Rising Tide Car Wash!
First Place AZ founder & president/CEO and always-on-the-go Denise D. Resnik recently met with PHOENIX magazine to share how all of the fun things in her bag, like UNO cards and SMILE biscotti, help her connect with all kinds of people—including donors, members of the autism community and First Place friends. Check out what’s in Denise’s travel bag—and think about items you won’t want to leave home without!
Amy Lutz, PhD, is the mother of a severely autistic adult son, Jonah, a historian of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and a prolific, regular writer for various academic and mainstream journals. Amy’s research focuses on the history and ethics of autism and other intellectual/developmental disabilities. From Denise D. Resnik on Amy’s latest piece for psychologytoday.com: “So grateful for Amy’s rational, thoughtful approach to our work and words.”
HUGE thank you to our friends at Milestones Magazine for featuring First Place–Phoenix in their “My Own Place” segment this season! Milestones Magazine is a great resource to help families with a neurodiverse loved one prepare for the future, understand and celebrate different life milestones, and learn about the great strides happening in communities across the country.
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the annual Holiday Tour of Doors! First Place–Phoenix residents and Transition Academy students were full of joy leading tours around the property, showcasing the great work and creativity everyone put into making their doors so fun and festive. Congratulations to winners for Best Theme, Most Unique, Most Festive, Most Colorful and Most Creative!
This extraordinary documentary about autism has come a long way from local film festivals to the national spotlight! PBS premiered In A Different Key in 50 top markets across the country December 13. The film follows the history of autism in the U.S., starting with the first person ever diagnosed—now an 89-year-old man living in Forest, Mississippi—the uniquely supportive community where he was born and raised. The film also follows Mickey, son of co-producer Caren Zucker, at First Place-Phoenix and around the supportive Phoenix community.
Take advantage of post-premiere viewing opportunities on PBS.org until Friday, Jan. 13, 2023. Some PBS affiliates are also rerunning the film (check local listings).
First Place AZ is proud to share that Founder & President CEO Denise Resnik has been named a Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust 2022 Piper Fellow. Fellows are chosen and honored for their outstanding leadership and impact in Maricopa County and receive fellowships for study, reflection and growth. Learn more about Piper Fellows and the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust here—and congratulations to this year’s Piper Fellows on this incredible achievement!
As 2023 approaches, we can’t help but to look back on an incredible 2022 of Adventure Club fun and excitement for First Place–Phoenix residents and Transition Academy students! Each month, participants experienced a new activity to keep minds sharp and bodies moving. Hear about some of their most memorable moments and what they hope to continue experiencing in the year ahead. HUGE THANKS to the generous donors who made this “Year of Adventure” possible!
Check out the fun activities that kept First Place–Phoenix residents engaged and on the go this month!
The holiday spirit is alive and well at First Place–Phoenix, too! Residents celebrated the first night of Hanukkah with our friends from Gesher Disability Resources making cards and paper dreidels, reading Hanukkah stories and participating in the dreidel hunt. Residents also decorated a large tree to light up the lobby and celebrated with some delicious, homemade and very creatively hand-made cookies.
Multicultural dinner: Various holidays make up the festive season—and it’s fun learning about them all. First Place–Phoenix residents and students enjoyed a worldly experience during a recent multicultural dinner representing different cultures. Their delicious feast included kebobs for Ramadan, latkes and challah bread for Hanukkah, mac and cheese for Kwanzaa, and green beans and honey-glazed ham for Yule. We hope whichever holiday you celebrate is full of warmth, peace and love!
In this recent introspective Arizona Republic op-ed, First Place AZ Founder & President/CEO and SARRC Co-Founder Denise D. Resnik shares heartfelt insights into family life with autism. She also offers a hopeful outlook for moving the needle on supportive housing in Arizona for individuals with autism and other intellectual/developmental disabilities—but time is of the essence.
Additional coverage by the Arizona Republic includes this article by Catherine Reagor, senior real estate reporter, highlighting the important work First Place—along with state and market leaders—is doing to meet the supportive housing needs of adults with autism and/or other intellectual/developmental disabilities.
The Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at University of Connecticut Research is making significant strides in employment outcomes for neurodiverse individuals. UCONN’s new initiative is changing the narrative of supportive neurodiverse policies in higher education and employment throughout the state by creative inclusive environments, identifying unique employment barriers and collaborating with various experts in the field. Read about this groundbreaking initiative here.
Tune into your local PBS station December 13 for the premiere of the award-winning documentary In a Different Key about the first-ever child diagnosed with autism, now an 89-year-old man living in Forest, Mississippi. The film is based on the 2016 Pulitzer-prize finalist book of the same name written by renowned journalists and co-producers Caren Zucker and John Donvan.
First Place–Phoenix residents and their families celebrated the third annual Family Fun Night this month! After a two-year break, everyone was excited to welcome guests to the property and into their homes, to meet staff and get to know their First Place friends and neighbors. The night was filled with fun, camp-themed activities, including making friendship bracelets, enjoying hotdogs and hamburgers from Joey’s Grill, playing ladder toss and roasting s’mores poolside. We enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces—and new ones, too!
HUGE THANKS to everyone who donated to First Place on #GivingTuesday! Your invaluable support—along with the incredible generosity of longtime First Place champion the Make Waves Family Foundation’s “triple the ripple” challenge—is helping us continue our efforts to create a supportive, sustainable community where adults with autism and other neurodiversities live and thrive with pride, purpose and endless possibilities!
Please consider First Place AZ in your year-end giving plans.
From the two-year residential Transition Academy life skills program to rich community life experiences that include kayaking, horseback riding, indoor skydiving and the ever-popular pickleball, living at First Place empowers adults with autism and other neurodiversities to live their best life and chart their course to more independent living. Your support keeps us focused on ensuring housing, healthcare and community options are as bountiful for those we serve as they are for everyone else. Your donation helps keep us all moving forward—together! Learn more and donate.
Thanks to researchers at the First Place Global Leadership Institute, Arizona market leaders, advisors and sponsors, Greater Phoenix now has market data on residential demand of an all-too-often invisible population.
This past summer, the Institute administered the Greater Phoenix Housing Market Analysis to English- and Spanish-speaking adults with autism and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities and their family members through detailed surveys to better understand local housing and community needs and preferences.
The Institute has collected data to enable this collaborative group to identify barriers to meeting demand while demonstrating how the public, private, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors can work together to mitigate displacement or homelessness. The ultimate goal is to spur developers to better understand the population we serve and encourage more short-, medium- and long-term housing solutions. Distribution of analysis results is scheduled for early December. Huge thanks to sponsors Bank of America, Make Waves Foundation and Dominium for making this important work possible!
First Place recently received a $20,000 Economic Mobility Grant from Bank of America to help fund the “Greater Phoenix Home Market Analysis for Individuals with Autism and/or Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities.” Thanks to Bank of America’s generous support, First Place and various aligned partners are collecting stakeholder and marketplace data to identify barriers to local housing access and security, as well as determine how the public, private, nonprofit and philanthropic sectors can respond to market demand for this growing population.
This grant is part of Bank of America’s $1.25 billion, five-year commitment to helping local communities advance racial equality and economic opportunity.
The First Place Transition Academy 2022 cohort is wrapping up its third semester of Learn4Independence® courses, covering content that includes receiving feedback at work, planning for a move out of First Place–Phoenix, where and with whom to live, and creating a dating profile. Registration is now open for the class of 2025 starting August 2023. With a long roster of interested applicants for only 16 openings, now is the time to apply for this two-year residential program. Learn more and apply here.
Check out the many fun activities that kept First Place–Phoenix residents engaged and on the go this month.
Pop-up science club: Residents enjoyed First Place friend Harper’s on-site “pop-up science club” where they inflated balloons with water bottles, baking soda and vinegar—and made festive cards with circuits that light up. Harper brings her clever science club to adults with disabilities to give them hands-on opportunities to learn how cool things work in our world!
Better Piggies Rescue: First Place volunteers love spending time with the pigs at Better Piggies Rescue in New River and getting to know their different and fun personalities. They can also enhance their socialization skills through lots of belly rubs and delicious snack sessions. The nonprofit was established in 2017 and focuses on pig rescue, rehabilitation, adoption and education.
Return of Mikey’s League: Residents have been enjoying the fall weather with the new flag football season at Mikey’s League. There have been a few nail-biting games—and First Place players have scored some awesome touchdowns. Everyone is looking forward to the upcoming championship!
This month, we’re sharing two articles well worth reading. The first from Spectrum News gives details about research identifying autistic people who are particularly vulnerable to cognitive decline as they get older. The second from Psychology Today delves into why autistic people tend to face problems, including interpersonal issues or sensory overload, in the workplace—and how they can better navigate their careers.
We took many significant steps forward together at this year’s symposium held in person in Phoenix and via webinar. Participants joined us for an agenda packed with local and national experts in the fields of autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities, housing, healthcare and employment. We’re especially grateful to keynote speaker Dr. Thomas Insel, former director of the National Institute of Mental Health and author of Healing: Our Path from Mental Illness to Mental Health.
Videos presented at the symposium included a closer look at the ongoing, groundbreaking work of the First Place Global Leadership Institute, as well as an informative spotlight on several licensees of the unique Learn4Independence® life skills curriculum—and the expansion of transition programs across the country.
Participants enjoyed another informative and free LNCS session with Erik Carter, PhD, special education professor at Vanderbilt University. Through the lens of his invaluable expertise in how to support individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in schools, workplaces and everyday communities, Dr. Carter shared how we can collaborate to create a sense of belonging in places struggling to widen their welcome.
LNCS (Lifelong Networks for Communities of Support, pronounced “links”) is a group of parents and family members of adults with autism and other neurodiversities who are committed to coaching and connecting families to achieve action-oriented outcomes. The goal of LNCS is to help pave the way to more independent and joyful living for individuals—and peace of mind for families.
Everyone is thrilled with the success of Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center’s second annual YES Day for Autism this month at Tempe Beach Park. Attendance was double last year’s! The First Place AZ team was there to learn and connect with our ever-expanding supportive community and share information about the First Place–Phoenix Apartments and Transition Academy residential life skills program. We are grateful to SARRC, First Place and collaborators across the state who support the autism community each and every day.
We’re always inspired by the ability of kids to learn at every age. First Place AZ Founder and President/CEO Denise D. Resnik and Director of the Maricopa County IDA Center for Education, Training & Employment brad herron valenzuela recently toured the new Arizona Autism Charter Schools campus in Peoria. Open since Aug. 1 and energized with more than 130 K–3 students, this unique and much anticipated school is primed for growth, thanks to Diana Díaz-Harrison—unstoppable lead founder and executive director—for the dreams and opportunities she and her dedicated team are making possible. The Arizona Autism Charter School is also a licensee of the First Place Learn4Independence® curriculum helping young adults learn independent living skills before leaving high school.
Check out the many fun activities that kept First Place–Phoenix residents engaged and on the go this month.
Painting pretty pumpkins: First Place–Phoenix residents and Transition Academy students got into the fall spirit this month with personalized seasonal décor by painting their own mini pumpkins with various autumnal colors to add some seasonal warmth to their apartments.
“Pawsitive” friendships of a special kind: Residents had a “pup-tastic” time meeting some friends from Pawsitive Friendships this month. Founder/CEO Tosha Tharp-Gaitanis and Jacques, French Bulldog and charming mascot, came from the animal-assisted therapy nonprofit to teach participants about the differences among service dogs, emotional support animals and therapy dogs—and how they can provide different forms of valuable assistance to individuals with autism and other neurodiversities.
“Frozen” chosen as next First Place musical! On the heels of the smashing success of their performances in “The Wizard of Oz” this past spring, the talented residents and Transition Academy students at First Place–Phoenix are excited about their next musical! It’ll be another production with the help of ASU undergraduate and graduate students led by First Place friend and director Jacob Buttry, along with new friends Zoe Tyler, assistant director, and Ryan Ulrich, choreographer. Rehearsals are in full swing, with the cast benefiting from workshops on consent and comfortable physical boundaries—and working to create a thriving, creative environment for everyone.
First Place fashion show: Residents recently strutted their stuff down the red carpet after working together to master proper personal hygiene for important events, like job interviews or a fancy celebration, as well as everyday-life situations—another important step in their journeys to independence. To celebrate, they dressed to the nines to enjoy the benefits of improved self-care…and show off a bit!
Tune into your local PBS station December 13 for the premiere of the award-winning documentary “In a Different Key” about the first-ever child ever diagnosed with autism, now an 89-year-old man living in Forest, Mississippi. The film is based on the 2016 Pulitzer-prize finalist book of the same name written by renowned journalists and co-producers Caren Zucker and John Donvan.
First Place and SARRC are featured in the film, along with Zucker’s son Mickey, who resides at First Place–Phoenix. Gather family and friends around a big bowl of popcorn to enjoy and be inspired by this extraordinary film.
A new website called autismandgrief.org to help adults, families, clergy and other professionals understand, validate and support the grief experiences of adults with autism was recently launched by the Hospice Foundation of America. Funded by the Nancy Lurie Marks Family Foundation, the goal of this unique and much-needed website is to inspire a healthy understanding of grief and loss for autistic adults.
“The NLM Family Foundation is aware that the experience of being marginalized or ignored during times of grief is far too common in the autism community,” says program officer Beth Zwick. “We are delighted to have partnered with Hospice Foundation of America, the premier grief expert, to create this informative and accessible website.” Learn more at autismandgrief.org.
By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place® AZ
From the earliest days of designing First Place–Phoenix, we used the concept of kintsugi—the Japanese art of golden repair—to describe our approach to creating, developing and connecting home and community.
Kintsugi is a centuries-old art form. The artist smashes a perfect piece of pottery and then repairs it with gold resin to take its strength, beauty and uniqueness to even greater heights—a metaphor for the life lesson that you can pick up and reassemble the pieces as you learn to embrace and honor the cracks of human imperfection—and our perfectly imperfect communities.
Today, more than ever, kintsugi serves to enjoin the many facets of life at First Place in a special, bonding way that builds personal relationships in particular and community in general.
For example, we have allocated generous space to common areas for gatherings and chance interactions. That resin is also ever-present in so many welcoming locations throughout Greater Phoenix, acknowledged by PBS NewsHour as “the most autism-friendly city in the world.”
Over the past 15 years, however, that common gold resin unifying our communities around the globe has been diminished. According to Noreena Hertz in her book, The Lonely Century, “physical spaces where people of all stripes can come together, interact and form bonds have been severely neglected at best and at worst actively destroyed starting around the time of the 2008 financial crisis.” Hertz notes that this was also “accelerated markedly…as government policies of austerity took a sledgehammer to libraries, public parks, playgrounds and use of community centers across much of the world.”
Hertz goes on to note so presciently: “Why this matters so profoundly is because such places are not only where we come together but also where we learn how to do so, places where we practice civility and also democracy and its inclusive form, by learning how to peacefully coexist with people different from us and how to manage different points of views. Without such spaces that bring us together it’s inevitable that we will pull ever further apart.
“Our health, it seems, is molded not only by community and a feeling of being connected to others but also by kindness. The kindness of friends and family, colleagues, employers and neighbors—but also the kindness of strangers. As we rebuild our post COVID-19 world, we need to remember this.”
First Place successfully pivoted from the negative to the positive with our COVID-inspired Kind It Forward® initiative that served to help rebuild our community in just the way Hertz articulates.
As we continue to face the unexpected upheaval of the recent past and the challenges of an ever more uncertain future, creatively practicing kintsugi can be the catalyst for needed connection and strengthening in myriad ways. It starts with each of us—and ends with all of us.
Connect with us online or in person during the 11th First Place Global Leadership Institute Symposium, Oct. 19–21. Register today!
