Autism Delaware employment services expand to Sussex County
Autism Delaware now offers its unique, community-based employment service to Sussex County adults with autism spectrum disorders. Known as Productive Opportunities for Work and Recreation or POW&R, for short, the service provides individualized opportunities, helping each adult with an ASD fill daily schedules with work, training, an internship or a volunteer position as well as recreation and social outlets.
“We support adults with autism by helping them to remain active and involved in the community for the rest of their lives,” explained POW&R Director Katina Demetriou. “The POW&R team includes direct support professionals and community specialists who work to provide individualized services to our clients. And for the record, our clients make excellent employees. They’re reliable, efficient, honest, outcome-driven, and quick learners, able to retain learned skills and fill a range of employment needs.”
POW&R succeeds with help from local businesses and organizations willing to employ Delawareans with autism. “The key to our success,” said Demetriou, “is we work with everyone involved to guarantee the positive placement of a client with the best employer. We minimize the stress of the transition to promote a positive outcome.”
“Working with POW&R has been an incredibly positive experience,” said Melissa Harvey, clerical manager for the Delaware Center for Maternal & Fetal Medicine of Christiana Care, in Autism Delaware correspondence. “We would highly recommend and encourage any company to form a partnership with POW&R. It will become a win-win situation for everyone involved, both providing employment opportunities for deserving people with autism and meeting your staffing needs.”
“We invite all Sussex County businesses to become community partners with POW&R,” said Demetriou. “Help us employ Delawareans with autism so they can enjoy full and meaningful lives.”
To learn more about Autism Delaware and POW&R, visit www.delautism.org.
About Autism Delaware
Autism Delaware is a nonprofit advocacy organization made up of individuals affected by autism, their family members, professionals and friends. The organization’s mission is to create better lives for people and families affected by autism throughout Delaware. Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life. Autism Delaware serves the entire state of Delaware with its offices in Newark and Milton. For additional information about Autism Delaware, visit www.delautism.org.
One in every 110 children in the United States is born with autism - up from one in every 2,500 children in 1995.
