When I was diagnosed with autism at age 15, I remember experiencing relief because I knew I was different in terms of the fact that I experienced typical signs like having difficulty with making friends, reading social cues and dealing with schedule changes. My journey towards autism acceptance started truly then because I knew my strengths were gifts from God. Some of my gifts include: speaking in front of large groups about autism, fixing technology and having a photographic memory. My photographic memeory is one of those skills I am oddly proudly of. I can remember details of past family vacations such as what we did, where we went and when we went.
As I got further into my autism acceptance journey, one that I am not ashamed to highlight, I realized I am meant to be a trailblazer. When I was a sophomore at Chaparral High School, one of my teachers encouraged me to speak at a school-wide pep assembly which had all 2,100 students and staff in attendance. I prepared a speech about my journey with autism and how Best Buddies had changed my life. That speech started me on my journey to become a speaker. I have spoken in front of various Best Buddies events, the 2017 SARRC Community Breakfast, fundraising events for First Place- Phoenix and Treasure House. My most memorable speech was when I spoke in front of over 3,000 people during Chaparral High School's graduation ceremony in May 2014. I was encouraged to share my story during the ceremony and I tried out and became the first person with autism to be selected. The night of the graduation ceremony I couldn't wait for my moment to shine. I shared my story with confidence and rocked it.
These days I am not only surviving with autism but I am thriving with autism. I live independently in my own house in Scottsdale, work four days at at Christ Lutheran School, serve on the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center Self-Advocate Advisory Board and the Arizona Association of People Supporting Employment First Advisory Board. I am most proud of the progress I make in my everyday life to live a fulfilling life as a member of society.
I always knew I wanted to live independently in my own house for many years. I watched my sisters head to college and ultimately meet their now husbands. I started working hard to achieve my dream of living independently when I started receiving habiltiaiton services through the Arizona Depaartment of Economic Security's Division of Developmental Disabilities and working with providers from numerous agencies. We worked on skills like budgeting money, cleaning my own house, doing my own laundry and buy my own groceries. I knew I always envisioned living independently but there weren't many housing options for people with autism so I lived in my parents guest house for a bit. Then something amazing happened. My mom had coffee with Denise Resnik and found out there was an opening for me at the First Place Transition Academy with clinical services operated by SARRC- which at the time was located at 29 Palms.
I found out at the First Place Transition Academy and took a tour of the program at 29 Palms and instantly knew I wanted to live there. We completed my clinical intake at SARRC and shortly after I was accepted to move in. My mom and I started shopping for everything I needed for my portion of the apartment such as pots and pans, dishes and silverware, laundry detergent and hygiene items. Shortly after that, I moved in and I couldn't wait, but my parents we're so nervous. We came to 29 Palms and signed the lease and then moved me in with my roommate. I lived with my roommate for a bit then I switched. My second roommate is still one of my closest friends. We've celebrated birthdays together, gone to Out of Africa Wildlife Park and stayed at my parents house in Flagstaff together and went to Disneyland together. When I was in program, I worked at Christ Lutheran School as a preschool aide. I completed responsibiltiies like helping preschool classes get ready for snack, reading to the kids, supervising the students at recess and helping with aftercare.
In 2018, I graduated from the First Place Transition Academy as part of the graduation ceremony at Grand Canyon University. The following day we received our graduation Certificates of Completion in a ceremony at 29 Palms. Throughout the process, Transition Academy staff met with my parents and I to discuss what next- such as where I would live and where I would work, I knew I wanted to live at First Place-Phoenix since I was part of the groundbreaking ceremony. First Place felt like home from the beginning. Long before First Place was even a property, I was part of training one of our staff members Jessica, who came on as a Support Specialist and is now the Director of Supports and Mental Health. I picked my unit right away and it was on the second floor.
The time came for me to move into First Place as one of the "Firstie" residents alongside my friends Lauren and Mickey. We moved me into my new house and I was so excited for my next chapter. The journey instantly looked brighter when I moved into First Place because it was in a supportive community near hospitals, museums, Chase Field and the Footprint Center (now Mortgage Matchup Center) and restaurants. While I worked at First Place, I worked numerous part-time jobs including Administrative Clerk at the AZ School Boards Association and Dining Room Attendant at BridgeWater Assisted Living. On top of working, I would also volunteer in the community to stay busy when I had downtime and to keep my employment skills current. One of my favorite volunteer opportuntiies was working at the AZ Science Center before COVID closed them down.
My favorite aspect of First Place was the Community Life events we would have the chance to participate in like dinner nights out, bowling and pool parties. I lived at First Place for a couple years then we decided to explore other living options for me.
I currently in my own townhome in Scottsdale and I love it because it is in a neighborhood of supportive neighbors who are an array of ages. The first couple months it was an adjustment because I missed my First Place family and the staff. I quickly started wanting connection with neighborhood so my friend and I delivered cookies to neighbors who lived near my former townhome- since I have now moved. The cookie delivery resulted in many new relationships being formed. I also discovered other community amenities that I loved like the fact that we have a full-service clubhouse/ dining room for residents and social members to enjoy. There is also a gym where people workout, a full-service spa and a pool and hot tub. I started discovering that one of the best benefits of living in a gated community is that it is safe and there is a decent walking path that is like a mile or so in the community. When the weather is bearable and not too hot, I go for long walks alone or with family. When the weather is super hot, my family and I like to walk the mall and get 2 miles in by walking up and down every row of stores.
Part of living independently involves managing daily independent living tasks like cleaning my own house, budgeting my money and maintaining a digital calendar of commitments. For many years, I have honestly struggled with maintaining the cleanliness of my house because of executive functioning skills it requires me to have access to like remembering when to switch my own laundry and folding clothes correctly. I honestly would throw my clothes in drawers unfolded because it didn't bother me. These days, I am able to use my Amazon Alexa Echo Show to set reminders to unload laundry and set timers to clean my house. I usually set two ten-minute timers to make cleaning feasible so that I know the philosophy of when the timer stops I stop cleaning. I originally did 20 minutes but I realized that I end up stopping the timer half way through because I need a break or due to realizing I only have time for ten minutes. In that ten minutes, I do tasks like laundry, cleaning the kitchen and emptying the dishwasher and putting the dishes away in the correct location in my kitchen. My dresser is labeled with labels on appropriate drawers- like pajamas, workout clothes, t-shirts and underwear. That way I can open the correct drawer without much guessing and locate what exactly I am looking for or put it away in the correct drawer. Over the last few years, I have become more knowledgeable with fixing problems around my house like if a circuit is tripped for the washing machine- I safely open the circuit breaker board on my back patio and un-trip it. I use ChatGPT often to troubleshoot problems around the house.
With each and everyday that I live independently, I am most proud of the progress I have made in learning new skills like how to community with healthcare professionals using my patient portals or email (whichever is the preferred outlet of communication), how to appropriately ask for help when I need it and that asking for help doesn't mean I less sufficient to live independently rather it's how I gain new skills and how to manage stress and anxiety related to frequent transitions and navigating a crazy busy world that often feels overwhelming for me as an adult with autism. Most recently, I moved into a different townhome in my same community where my sister and her husband briefly moved when they moved back from Dallas and I love the location because it's more private and not as out in the open. These days, I have made meaningful connections with my neighbors through talking to them and attending events in our clubhouse or eating dinner there alone at the bar. The staff even know me.
I had the opportunity to participate in the LOPES Academy at the Cardon Center at GCU as part of the inaugural cohort of learners. I had always wanted to go GCU after attending basketball games with First Place and participating in the First Place Transition Academy graduation ceremony with GateWay Community College which was held in the GCU Arena. At the time, I found out about the program from doing research and receiving a Facebook message from our Program Manager at the time, Allison, who I knew from HOPE Group. I had my interview and I printed off copies of my resume for our program team to see. I found out I got accepted into the program.
As time went on, I realized how I was so lucky to attend school at GCU as part of the inaugural group of LOPES Academy learners in Cohort 2023. I started to feel more and more immerseed in the GCU campus life because of the friendships I formed at GCU with students in the LOPES Academy program and GCU students as a whole. I started to attend basketball and baseball games, attend GCU Young Life club, participate in Honors College events with my LOPES Buddy Jayden. The connections that I formed at GCU truly impacted my life for the better by giving me purpose and confidence in myself. I also gained immeasurable skills that have helped me succeed in today's workforce like: knowing how to report hazards to OSHA, how to apprpriately ocmmunicate with co-workers and supervisors, learning how to appropriately and professionally request accomodations and utilizing breaks appropriately. Before we begun our second year of the program, we begun the in depth process of looking and different internship sites that are all over GCU's campus like the LOPES Shop, Canyon Pizza Co and GCU Athletics, GCU Office of Student Athlete Development. With some of those tours came perfoming the tasks. After each observation, we'd fill out a LOPES Academy internship site evaluation form that had us recollect info on it like what tasks we did and what the environment was like in terms of noise levels and the pace of the site. I knew I always wanted an internship wtih administrative work involved because of my current role at Christ Lutheran School so I could tranfer the skills.
The internship the\ LOPES Academy team carved out was two days a week. One day I worked in the GCU Athletics Communications Team helping with data entry related to putting in old rosters for sports in the computer into an Excel file. This position gave me the opportunity to participate in Athletics Communications Team Meetings which were an amazing opportunity to get to know my co-workers and supervisor. The other internship was working in the Office of Student Athlete Development whihc allowed me to scan student athletes in for study sessions or meetings wtih their advisors and assist with other tasks like organizing supplies and cleaning the office. The opportunities I was allowed to utilize to bond with my co-workers were priceless. Before I grauduated from the program, the OSAD team was gracious enough to present me with a certificate form that they typically give to student athletes for their diplomas when they graduate. These days this frame displays my certificate proudly in the hallway of my house.
In April 2023, Cohort 2023 prepared to graduate from LOPES Academy and we all heard about the GCU Alumni Association. Right then, I started imagining the LOPES Academy Alumni Association and what ti would like. I wanted to design some events that were tailored to our group like ice cream socials, attending GCU baseball games, bowling at Thunderground (when the bowling alley was there) and game days. Back to the graduation ceremony, our group wore their graduation caps and gowns with pride and joy. When the video played about LOPES Academy, people were cheering and chanting. For me it was my dad Doug and my friend Kiana. Other friends, family and my team from CLS watched online.
Following graduation I had a tough transition because I was missing GCU's campus and the friends I made through LOPES Academy. There were nights I would sit at my house and grieve the loss of the program and process losing such a big chapter of my life. That was truly when I started to experience a vision for the LOPES Academy Alumni Association. What I didn't know was that God was preparing me for an bigger next chapter which was working at GCU as the LOPES Academy Alumni Relations Specialist for a year and a half. I had my interview with the LOPES Academy team and boldly and confidently expressed how the program changed my life and my strengths. I got the job at the LOPES Academy Alumni Relations Specialist and was so excited to have my vision become a reality.
After securing the job, I completed all of my onboarding trainings and went to GCU's IT office to get my laptop I would use. I felt even more official when I got my ID with my picture on it and the words GCU Employee below it. After completing all the necessary tasks, I got to work creating a welcome letter for our cohort welcoming them to the LOPES Academy Alumni Association. As time went on, that letter was sent on and I started imagining the perfect event calendar with alumni events for our inaugural cohort that would fit diverse needs. At the beginning this looked like fun and entertaining game days in the Cardon Center, bowling at Thunderground, karaoke and simply eating lunch on campus. Keeping it simple helped me simplify my job by not having to provide a ton of details. Then as time went on alumni I had more creative ideas pop into my head like attending GCU baseball games, dinners at Havoc House and an unforgettable one-year graduation reunion for Cohort 2023 in the Cardon Center which consisted of arts and crafts and ice cream sundaes. These events were fun and unforgettable because I could see the group enjoying each other's company even more. Evemtually came the time to involved the next group of graduates to join our alumni association which was Cohort 2024. That was such a joyous moment. One of the unforgettable events we did together that I planned was a GCU Baseball Game.
As more time went on, I grew more ad more confident within my role as the LOPES Academy Alumni Relations Specialist. I started to realize that my hard work was paying off when our LOPES Academy Alumni Association grew my numbers whenever a new group graduated. While I was on the LOPES Academy team, we had three group of alumni graduate and join the program. Seeing all three groups mingle with each other alumni events brought joy to my face with a big smile.
Our program transcended my hopes and dreams and I always envisioned our program growing and thriving. I was the LOPES Academy Alumni Specialist for a year and a half and I started creating the detailed footwork for another LOPES Academy alumni to become the LOPES Academy Alumni Relations Specialist. I started creating a Word document of successful alumni events and what went well and when they were held and where they happened on campus. I always knew my vision was to see this program continue to thrive and succeed.
When it came time for me to transition out of my role, the LOPES Academy team and Dr. Elliott, the Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences organized a thoughful goodbye/thank you lunch for me at Havoc House where we ate yummy food and and shared in unforgettable conversations with each other.
I currently work at Christ Lutheran School four days a week helping with administrative work tasks like filing graded work in various grades, shredding, cleaning the office kitchen, delivering preschool lunches and cleaning out and organizing lost and found items for students and assisting with lunch duty because these tasks for the most part can be highly structured. I started working at CLS a few years ago and I received Vocational Rehab services from HOPE Group. I worked with my job coach on learning the job and understanding what to do. My job duties looked the same as they do for the most part but we changed some around because they were too complicated- for example copying was one of those tasks we removed because it was too stressful. I successfully graduated from VR services and have now been working at CLS for a few years as part of the Connections Adult Work program. I started out working two days a week because at the time I was still doing LOPES Academy at GCU. After graduation, I expressed interest to my boss about adding a third day for more hours. The team eventually loved me so last year I begun the aspect of talking to my boss Caley about wanting to add another day and what the ideal schedule for another day would like- everything from the hours to the tasks. Friday is basically a half day with more laid back tasks which I love. The best part of the my Friday is helping out in our Connections classrooms of second grade students with recess supervision and our older kids Connections classroom with Social Studies assistance.
When I first started, I had struggles with being flexible coping with abrupt schedule changes like fire drills or lockdowns that were at random times, regulating my emotions and expressing when I was struggling with a certain emotion like stress and communicating effectively with coworkers. These days, I have specifically learned how to adapt when my schedule changes, flexibly help my co-workers when they need help and peacefully interact with the students. The highlight of my workday however remains is directly interacting with students in our Connections program, which is for students with autism in partnership with Gentry Pediatric Behahavioral Services. It's amazing watching the students thrive at school and make friends.
Fast forward to today, I am thriving as an adult with autism but thsi journey to get here wasn't easy. It was a journey of hard work and determination while learning new skills related to self-advocacy related navigating everyday life in daily areas like employment and independent living. It's a never-ending road to pursue the skills I need to thrive and grow like emotional regulation, coping with frequent schedule changes that result in uncertainty and coping with sensory overwhelm in a chaotic and busy world that can be filled with bright lights and loud environments like restaurants and concerts as well as airports where we all travel in and out of for vacations or business meetings. Even the littlest noise can result in me getting overwhelmed and needing to wear either my Bose headphones or my Apple AirPods with transparency mode turned on so I can still hear people if they are talking to me as well as taking a break from social activities in the privacy of my own home or wherever I am at if it's appropriately appropriate. Even going to an airport for traveling can be overwhelming, but I have found reasonable accomodations that help me succeed like the TSA cares program.
I credit my participation in the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center (SARRC) for my helping me find my identity in this everyday world and the Most Autism Friendly City of Phoenix, Arizona. I have participated in various programs that SARRC has offered like employment readiness workshops, financial awareness workshops and Autism CommunityWorks at the Civic Center Library. When I was applying for my job at the Arizona School Boards Association, my job coach from SARRC set up some trial test days for me to go to SARRC's 18th Street campus to perform some tasks that I would be doing at work like copying and cleaning and sanitizing tables to name a few. Not only has SARRC given me valuable skills that I continue to apply to my everyday life but they've also given me many unforgettable memories such as opportunities to participate in the annual Community Breakfast fundraiser, Coffee at the Capital and the Autism Speaks Walk (before it became Yes Day Walk for Autism)! Last year, I was recruited to join the SARRC Self-Advocate Advisory Board and little did I know it would change my life. The beginning half of the meetings, which are held quarterly, are spent providing feedback on SARRC's programs which we observe virtually or in person- like the Transition Academy, the Community School, Comprehensive Behavioral Program (now Aim ABA) and Employment Services. In some cases, our feedback has often been implemented to make SARRC's programs better for staff and clients they serve. Back to the meetings, each meeting is also accompanied by Board Governance Training led by a local board governance expert about topics like the role of the Board of Directors in evaluating the President and CEO and reviewing board charter documents line by line detail by detail.
In the journey towards becoming a "non-stop" advocate for those with autism through serving on boards and giving speeches and presentations to new audiences, I find time to take care of myself and my mental health through going to the gym to workout within my condo townhouse complex or Ability360 Sports and Fitness Center to do cardio and strength training, spending time decompressing in my house alone while watching TV or a movie on a streaming platform and spending time with friends and family. Growing up, I struggled with the aspect of making friends with people who were my age (as a matter of fact growing up I was often obsessed with the teachers at school) because I thought they were "cooler" than the students my age because I didn't have to read the adults. As time went on, I started to make friends with people who are my age. In high school, I joined the Best Buddies club at Chaparral High School which led to me meeting some of my best friends like my lifelong best friend Elaine Helton (now Elaine Smith) and my friend Caley Chapman who is my boss and neighbor. Caley came over to my parents house for breakfast one morning to pick me up and we went the Breakfast Club. We quickly formed a friendship. These days, Elaine works at the United School for Autism and she is happily married to her husband Ryan and they have a daughter. I was in attendance when Ryan and Elaine got married. Caley leads the Connections program at Christ Lutheran School which has three classes.
Last year I celebrated my 32nd birthday with my family including my cousins and sisters and my best friend Nicole and Caley at Texas Roadhouse and it was unforgettable because we enjoyed delicious food while enjoying even more unforgettable conversations. When I spent time brainstorming my guest list and the ideal birthday hoedown celebration celebrating at Texas Roadhouse with those I love came to mind because it was simpler and easier. When the celebration wrapped up, I was sad that it was over because I loved every minute of it.
In a fast-paced world that is filled with lots and lots of decisions regarding what's next and processing transitions, I want to highlight the mental health piece of this journey to bring awareness. Years ago, I went to see a therapy at the Melmed Center to process my anxiety and talk through life transitions and navigating life with autism. The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy strategies I was taught were applicable. These days, I still regularly experience anxiety, overwhelm and stress at the sight of everyday transitions related to navigating a busy schedule. I try to find naturalistic coping strategies like talking to friends and family as well as working out and journaling to process my feelings. I have learned to realize when I need a break or when I just need a shoulder to lean on to talk to about what's going on in my head and brain. Although sometimes I honestly struggle with knowing what I need when I need it how I need it which leads to me holding back. A few weeks ago as I prepared to head back to work before leaving Flagstaff, I had a full on anxiety attack about going back to work and not knowing what to expect. Sure enough everything was calmer than I thought. There were a lot of the same teachers who there as a last year. One of the same lunch helpers for lunch duty. The same person helping with lunch assistance of preschool lunches. I honestly had in my mind this picture that I'd feel overwhelmed and lonely navigating a new school year. When I went back to work, I was reminded that CLS is a village of teachers and administrative staff who care about each other. With that picture came worrying if I would need support from a job coach. Sure enough God provided supportive co-workers and support from Caley, my boss, and Connections teachers. On the first day of work, my boss was gracious enough to schedule a time block in her schedule to meet me downstairs in our school/church office to welcome me back and answer questions I had.
As an adult with autism, I credit my journey with Jesus in helping me find peace to navigate the experiences I experiences. God is there for me when I need someone to lean on or talk to and He is my ultimate Best Friend. One of my proudest accomplishments is being a peer mentor for Phoenix Young Life Capernaum and being able to attend club with our friends who are going through mixed experiences in school and in their personal lives. Throughout my involvement in Capernaum, I have experience Young Life Capernaum alongside some unforgettable leaders who have loved me and encouraged me iny faith journey. When I was involved at GCU they had College Capernaum which allowed me to attend camp at Lost Canyon alongside lifelong friend Peachy Conant (now Peachy Rasmussen) and develop a relationship with her. It was amazing to be up there with GCU students because I felt like the fact that I have autism didn't matter given the inclusive nature of that weekend.
Looking back, I have realized that my experiences with autism made me into the person I am today—the confident and fearless 32-year-old Lindsey Eaton. Adulthood with autism is an ongoing path to achieving greatness, and I’m learning that the path isn’t always linear. Sometimes I take ten steps forward and one step backward, but every step is still part of my journey. I’m blazing my own path, and I’m proud of where it’s taken me and where I’m going next.
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