FUTURE PLANS

Plans for the future at Bittersweet Farms include recreational weekend and evening programming, as well as increased respite services. There are currently, two certified respite beds, but there is a great need for more. The existing respite beds have been available for a couple of years, and every week a few individuals have used them. Some people have stayed up to thirty days, a real break for their families who have no residential options. Families who have full responsibility for adults with autism need both respite and creative social options for their adult children.

Program planners imagine adding dances or weaving classes, for example, which would be open to the surrounding community. Those with autism would participate along with others, and would have opportunities to connect with peers and a new mix of people.

The benefit of these changes would be the increased availability of services for those waiting for appropriate placements. The challenge would be to try to make it comfortable for people with autism to accept new folks. If these program development efforts present too much of a challenge for the farmstead, activities might be held at another location.

Finally, an often discussed option is expansion to a new site. Another farm-based program would create opportunities for others who have requested Bittersweet's services. It would eliminate the problem of limited space at the existing farm. However, wisdom dictates that long-term planning should rather, continue to focus on assuring quality in existing services. The creation of another site remains a consideration for the distant future.

Next Section