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Resource - Michael Frost
I cherish a dream to live a more autonomous way of life where I have the dignity to take a risk, experience failure and learn from it, while expecting open-mindedness and reciprocity from those around me. This is where my ongoing learning about and attempting to practice the intentionality of community is taking me.
“I value this — the dignity that attends collective risk and the related values I place on consensus formation — more now than I did 13 years ago. At that time, I was just starting to answer for myself questions about what way of life I wanted when my parents could no longer look after me.”
Over time, as I continue learning about intentional communities of residence — those designed to support and strengthen a particular group of people — I have a growing appreciation of the importance of co-dependence in relation to independence. The fostering of healthy relationships provides me autonomy by way of shared responsibilities for things like maintenance tasks around the community I call home.
Others with a better sense of time can follow up with administrative tasks I choose to initiate. At the same time, a third party can look after on my behalf, my personal responsibilities around managing finances, supporting my personal space, handling organizational challenges, and helping me with things like grocery shopping and related household chores.
I realize intentional communities — which include models like housing cooperatives, life-sharing communities and co-housing communities — are my best option for avoiding the social isolation that can arise from independent living. At the same time, unlike living in a group home or with a roommate, they offer the wrap-around supports that give me more autonomy.
I am confident that Autism Independent Living Association, or AiLA, will continue to steward ideas for promoting community living for individuals who need a moderate level of support, but don’t qualify for funding of those supports by the government. Over the long term, I dream that AiLA will serve as a housing operator and a consulting agency.
Michael Frost, Autistic Adult and Co-Founder of Autism Independent Living Association (AiLA)
Creating a brighter future for autistic adults starts in the home.
