California Autism Foundation

California Autism Foundation (CAF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Richmond, California.

California Autism Foundation
AbbreviationCAF
FoundedOctober 5, 1982 (1982-10-05)[1]
68-0149447[2]
Legal status501(c)(3) non-profit organization
HeadquartersRichmond, California[2]
Executive Director
Valisha Fullard[2]
President
Mark Roberts[2]
Revenue (2014)
$6,380,514[2]
Expenses (2014)$6,096,168[2]
Employees (2014)
267[2]
Websitewww.calautism.org

CAF provides residential service, educational and vocational programs to clients with autism.

History

In August 1983 CAP opened its first residential home in San Rafael, California for adults with autism cases deemed too severe to live outside of an institution. Callede A Better Chance (ABC), the CAF billed ABC as a "therapeutic and supportive environment" that is based on "tenets of human rights and respect".[3]

In 2008, John Visbal became CEO of CAF and made plans for expansion.[3] In 2013, John D. Rockefeller was named CEO.[4]

Programs

Educational and Social Programs

CAF claims to center around creating a sense of community and thus offers academic, recreational, environmental, and cultural activities that aim to foster personal development.

ABC School

ABC School is designed for children and young adults aged 6 to 22 diagnosed with autism or other developmental disabilities. The school builds on the California Autism Foundation's philosophy of community building and prioritizes teaching life skills through collaborative teaching principles and real-world training opportunities.[5] ABC school also utilizes community job partners to provide vocational training and opportunities to its older students.[5]

ABC Adult Day Program

ABC Adult Day Program is a vocational training program in which adults 18 years or older with autism (or other developmental disabilities) to help these adults learn about acceptable social interactions. This program helps individuals with self-advocacy, self care, vocational and community integration. This program can be carried out throughout group or individualized services in order to achieve the goals of their IPP or Individual Program Plan.

TheProgram offers aid in everyday activities such as computer skills and hygiene. These skills can help develop these future employees and to overcome social adversity. These traits of self-care and self-reliance have helped many people with disabilities develop communication skills to "include P.E.C.S. and sign language that make them marketable to many companies."[5]

Vocational and employment training helps prepare students by providing them the tools to learn skills such as gardening and landscaping, janitorial services, food packaging and distribution. This allows employees to work independently in the field in which they choose to study.

Employment Programs

People with disabilities are one of the largest groups of unemployed adults. These people face discrimination when it comes to training, accommodations and assistive technological services that make it possible for working disabled employees to obtain and excel in their industry. These people also face adversity when it comes to career opportunities. CAF has created programs that help individuals with disabilities gain skills to join the workforce and contribute to their community.

CAF Work Activity Program

The Work Activity Program allows participants to utilize these opportunities that are provided to build self-confidence and the feeling of accomplishment, productivity and independence.[6]

Precision Industries

CAF focuses on the skill-sets possessed by an individual and how to develop these skills into desirable traits employers look for. This business division is called Precision Industries (PI). PI operates an on-site Custom Assembly and Packaging (CAP) business at CAF’s Richmond facility.

Working with Precision Industries, individuals enrolled in the WAP program are employed by CAP and provide packaging, labeling and assembly services for a variety of businesses that have contracted with Precision Industries to perform their production fulfillment.”[6] This CAP Program gives employees a chance to earn an income, but to also secure possible future employment. The CAP Program provides on-site adult education classes that help develop employment skills.

Residential Programs

CAF Residential programs have been designed to coordinate social activities for individuals with disabilities. Throughout providing these services, residents can live in an environment that is accepting and designed to give them the opportunity to explore their potential.

ABC Residential Homes

CAF now owns three residential homes. [7]

ABC homes are designed for adults ages 18 to 59 to provide them with social skills training in an environment that fosters individuality. Residents are urged to find their potential and given an opportunity to take the initiative to practice their own daily routine.

gollark: These are my pronouns. Please respect my pronouns.
gollark: Or the osmarks.tk orbital satellite cameras.
gollark: My phone has a camera. Although that has somewhat broken focus too.
gollark: https://pronouny.xyz/u/osmarks
gollark: It's the future relative to the past, in any case.

References
  1. "The California Autism Foundation, Inc. Archived 2015-03-15 at the Wayback Machine Business Entity Detail. California Secretary of State. Accessed on February 25, 2016.
  2. "Form 990: Return of Organization Exempt from Tax". California Autism Foundation. Guidestar. December 31, 2014.
  3. Foundation, California Autism. "CAF History". California Autism Foundation. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  4. "John D. Rockefeller takes helm at California Autism Foundation - San Francisco Business Times". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 2016-03-30.
  5. CAF Educational and Social Programs, September 20, 2013
  6. CAF Employment Programs, September 18, 2013
  7. CAF Residential Programs, September 20, 2013
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.