Olivia Liu/USA TODAY NETWORK
A New Jersey town will be the future site for a one-of-a-kind residential housing complex for adults with autism.
The Red Bank zoning board recently approved a plan last month to construct and develop an apartment building for neurodiverse adults, theTwo River Timesreported, which would be the first one ever in the Garden State.
According to a press release, the THRIVE Red Bank project will consist of 32 one-bedroom apartments to encourage independent living for adults with autism. The building’s amenities will include a teaching kitchen, workout spaces and socialization areas.
Karen Fluharty, a mother of an adult son with autism, is one of the people who spearheaded THRIVE Red Bank throughParents With A Plan, a nonprofit organization she co-founded whose mission is “to develop a model community for adults with autism and other related developmental disorders.”
“Obviously, we’re thrilled,” Fluharty tells PEOPLE about the zoning board’s decision, “in no small part because Red Bank offers a rare combination of walkability, access to public transit, employment opportunities and amenities. Most neurodiverse adults don’t drive, but in a community like Red Bank, they’ll be able to walk, bike or take a train or bus to a job, an important step to independence. For Red Bank, it broadens the community and opens a new group of potential employees. It’s a win/win/win.”
TheUniversity of Maryland Medical Systems, citing data from the CDC, said that there are more than 5.4 million adults in the United States who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According toParents With A Plan, about 500,000 people with autism reach adulthood, and one in 34 children in New Jersey is diagnosed with the developmental disability.
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Fluharty earlier toldNJ.comthat the idea came about after she searched through 40 places in the U.S. where her son Ryan could live after he “fell off the services cliff” when he became an adult. Ryan, 21, is currently living at First Place, a neurodiverse housing community in Arizona that serves as an inspiration for THRIVE Red Bank.
“Like any parent who finds out their young child is neurodiverse, my first reaction for Ryan was to get him into every program that would help him grow and develop into a happy, healthy, independent adult,” Fluharty says to PEOPLE. “And New Jersey, where I live and where he grew up, has wonderful resources for children. All of those programs end at adulthood.
“My concern, like every other parent, is what will happen when I can no longer help,” Fluharty continues. “I searched and found a great situation [for Ryan] in Arizona. But selfishly, I’d like my only child closer to me and the rest of our family. So, after a career in marketing and developing real estate projects around the world, I teamed with developers and Rutgers [Center for Adult Autism Services] to find property and develop a residential complex that offers support and a sense of community — of family — for my child and others.”
Robin Klein, a developer and co-owner of THRIVE Red Bank, described Red Bank as the ideal place for the project, citing the town’s potential employment opportunities for the community’s residents as well as its accessibility to shopping, entertainment and education. “Red Bank provides the community and the quality of life and the ethos of giving, engaging and inclusion that will be critical as these young adults move into independent living,” she said, perPatch.com.
The “navigator,” who will live in the building’s ground floor apartment, will serve as a guide for the residents, such in the event a resident injures themselves on the premises, Fluharty told NJ.com.
Debbie Tabakin, a co-founder of Parents With a Plan, tells PEOPLE that the main reaction from people about the project has been, “How do I get my child on the list for an apartment?”
“‘Falling off a cliff’ pretty much means that these programs end [for children with autism when they reach 21],” Tabakin adds. “But frequently, the need for assistance does not. Most neurodiverse adults live with a family member, who is also aging. This will be a huge challenge going forward, and THRIVE Red Bank is one way to help.”
At last month’s zoning board meeting, parents of children with autism expressed concern about their children’s future, emphasizing the need for them to be independent, theTwo River Timesreported. “My deepest fear is who is going to not only take care of my son when I’m no longer here but who’s going to care about him,” said Jane Kleiman of Red Bank.
Katie Cartier, an adult with autism, also addressed the board, saying, per theTwo River Times. “When I was a student at George Mason University, I worked two jobs. Now, I want to live independently. Please allow me to have the chance.”
THRIVE Red Bank is expected to open in 2025. As for what she hopes this type of housing will accomplish and do for neurodiverse adults, Fluharty tells PEOPLE, “A sense of community and family [and] supportive programs from trained professionals that will help them achieve independence and a happy fulfilling life—what everyone wants for their children.”
source: people.com
