Community Support

Caregiver/Companion for Young Adult with Autism (Troy, MI)

We’re seeking caring individuals to provide occasional companionship and support for our 21-year-old with autism and other special needs. He is living with a roommate in Troy attending a “college-like” program and working part-time. Initially, we’re looking for people who can occasionally spend time with him on weekends or evenings, offering companionship and gradually stepping into a support role. He enjoys sports, video games, riding elevators, grabbing Starbucks, and crosswalks, so someone who can engage with him in these activities would be a great fit. By June, when his college program ends and his daily structure decreases, we’ll need more regular weekly support. Support tasks may include remotely helping him stay on schedule (e.g., getting up & ready for work, taking medication) via phone calls or FaceTime, assisting with groceries and meal prep, light housekeeping/laundry, and activity/transportation scheduling.

This is a perfect opportunity for someone looking for flexible, supplemental income in a big brother/big sister type of role. Compensation would be negotiable based on experience and type of care, but we would ensure we would be very competitive.  Even if it’s just for a few hours a month or being available to be on-call occasionally, every bit of support makes a difference.

If you or someone you know might be interested in helping our son as he transitions into more independent living, please contact Heather at 248-310-5046 or email [email protected] for more information and details. (Posted 9/23/24)

Support for Adult with Autism

We are looking for a kind, warm, genuinely interested and compassionate individual to support our 34-year-old daughter at her place of employment every Wednesday and Friday. We live one mile North of Oakland University, and her job is in Waterford. (approximately 13 miles from our home)

This position provides you additional experience, as it is at a very sought after and well-established non-profit for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Our daughter has worked there for 11 years as an Occupational Therapy Aide, giving light, one-to-one sensory integration support to participants. It is a warm, loving place to staff and participants alike.

Hours are 9am – 12:30pm, picking her up at home and back, after supporting and assisting her.

We require a Driver’s License, Proof of Insurance, background check, etc. We offer excellent pay, mileage from our door both ways - and a quarterly bonus.

Our daughter has ASD and NVLD, which is a little-known condition invisible to the naked eye. It is characterized by visual/spatial challenges, motor difficulties and trouble understanding nonverbal information (still not in the DSM). She is very verbal, has a strong vocabulary, but has difficulty grasping the relationships between things she sees and a clear understanding of where they are. Visual imagery is challenging. She is extremely literal, cannot intuit or read between the lines for meaning. Body language, abstract concepts, metaphors, hyperbole, idioms and facial expressions often cause confusion and anxiety. We and she will teach you how this disability impacts all areas of her life. She is quiet, wants to learn, is interested, kind and needs someone who is too. Her disabilities are invisible, which makes her needs overlooked.

Please contact Kitt at [email protected] or call (248)891-1060. (Posted 2/1/2025)

AAC and Proloquo Support for Autistic Adult
Are you an OU student with experience in Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), speech-language pathology, special education, or a related field? We are looking for a patient and knowledgeable individual to help our adult autistic son develop his communication skills using Proloquo on an iPad.

Job Details:

• Role: Assist in setting up and implementing an effective communication approach using Proloquo
• Schedule: 45-minute session once a week, day and time to fit your schedule.
• Location: OU campus; sessions could involve real-life practice, such as ordering food in the cafeteria and making selections using the iPad
• Compensation: Competitive hourly rate
• Requirements:
  • Experience with AAC tools (Proloquo preferred)
  • Understanding of communication strategies for non-verbal or minimally verbal individuals
  • Ability to facilitate real-world practice to strengthen communication skills
  • Patience, enthusiasm, and a desire to make a meaningful impact

This is a great opportunity for students in speech-language pathology, special education, assistive technology, or related fields to gain hands-on experience while supporting a meaningful communication journey.

If interested, please reach out to [email protected]  with your background and availability. (Posted 2/27/25)