Meet Charlie
“My son Charlie, who is 30 years old, has autism,” explains Yuko. “He’s been attending PASS for seven years.”
When Charlie graduated from high school at age 19, Yuko and her husband John arranged for Charlie to begin attending a community-based day program with another service provider. The focus was recreational and it worked well for the first few years.
“Charlie would meet in the community centre. He would volunteer at the seniors center. He would do activities like bowling and swimming,” Yuko explains.
“Over the years, we realized that although it was lovely that Charlie was included in the community, I felt like he wasn’t engaging with the community. He was starting to drift.”
Yuko and John began searching for what Charlie needed: a program that was more structured and consistent, where there was more emphasis on skills-building. That’s why they decided to look into PASS.
“Charlie is non-verbal,” explains Yuko. “When you ask, “How are you?” He says “I’m fine, thank you.” But for him, it’s not real communication or engagement. He’s just learned to say that. Charlie is quite easy going. He doesn’t understand the power he has in asking for something that he wants.”
At PASS, one of the skills Charlie has learned to use is pictures to communicate his wants and needs. For example, if Charlie wants a donut, he can use a picture of a donut and exchange the picture for the treat.
“Pictures and photographs are powerful communication tools for people on the spectrum,” says Yuko.
“Charlie has a much fuller life because of PASS. Because Charlie works on his skill-building therapies during the day at PASS, when he comes home, he can just “veg.” We can be together as a family without needing to do this therapy or that therapy with him. It takes off the stress at home.”
Charlie still does chores at home, like emptying the dishwasher and folding the laundry, but the skills-building starts at PASS. And then he brings those skills to his home life.
“PASS is a vibrant place,” says Yuko. “What they’ve managed to do is combine being a happy place with doing therapies that help adults develop skills for life. It’s beyond a day program. It’s beyond activities like swimming and bowling. PASS works on skills in a non-stressful environment, where everyone is respected and accepted for who they are.”
Yuko explains that for Charlie, PASS is a place where he can thrive and be the best he can be.
“He’s made true friends and he’s been embraced by everybody. As a parent, that’s all you could ever ask for.”