BY:Randy Lewis

As most seniors prepare for college and to go off into the world, there are a few that are preparing for a very different life after graduation. Before I knew Josh I didn’t know anything about kids like him and what they go through each day. When I say” kids like him” I am talking about kids with  autism. "Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder that typically lasts throughout a person's lifetime. Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls." - source http://www.autismspeaks.org/whatisit/index.php?WT.svl=Top_Nav

 I have been around autism for 19 years, so I have first hand knowledge of the affects it has on the child and on the families that love them. I assume that when most people think of this disorder, what comes to mind is a person who will never have a typical life. But that is not always the case.  The story I am about to tell is not an easy one for me, because I am the uncle to an autistic young man who is leaving home to try things on his own. Josh is a 19 year old senior at Middletown High School who will graduate with the rest of the senior class, but before that happens he and another young man that graduated last year, who is also a special needs adult, will take on their biggest challenge yet: moving out into the world on their own.

The Butler County Children Services and the MRDD will be assisting Josh and his  roommate with moving into their very own house in the Goldman Park area. This area suites Josh well because he plays softball in the park with a group of  special needs kids. Most autistic people have routines that are a fixture in their lives; and Josh is no different. Known as the" Trash Man" on his softball team Josh can tell you when the garbage runs in almost every neighborhood in Middletown. This may seem funny to most but it’s these routines that give him structure. As excited as he is to move,and he is very excited, there is one woman who is finding it hard to let him go. Josh has lived with his grandmother for the last 8 years and as she put it, “it’s the happiest day and the most painful day in my life.” But she wants what will make him happy, even if it’s the most difficult thing she has had to do.

These boys will not be alone in this adventure,however, the parents have worked closely with MRDD and Butler County to make sure that all of their needs are met. When all is said and done these two young adults will have something that a lot of 19 year olds don’t have: and that is a place that is their own….a place that they can call home.