2022 Projects

It’s been a busy year so far! Make Waves has been providing funding for a wide variety of exciting new projects that will help support adults on the spectrum. These programs have been carefully chosen to ensure that we are taking a more holistic approach towards helping autistic adults in living happy, fulfilled lives through employment, healthcare, wellness and safety. 

Els for Autism “U Can Employ” Program

Make Waves has funded the U Can Employ program, which is a new initiative that will provide employers with direction on how to open up more job opportunities for people with ASD, as well as guidance on how to provide continued support for people with ASD after they are hired.

This program will touch on a wide range of topics including:

• Training on ASD and why it’s mutually beneficial for companies to hire people on the spectrum

• Recruiting practices designed specifically for people with ASD

• Onboarding and training strategies to ensure a successful transition

• Best practices on how to accommodate people with ASD in the workplace

• Mentoring programs that will help to maximize a new employees' potential and success

This program will open up so many new opportunities not only for people on the spectrum, but for the companies and organizations that make an effort to recruit and hire people on the spectrum.

Click here to download a program PDF.

First Place Academy’s 360 Health & Wellness Program

Make Waves Family Foundation’s funding of First Place’s 2021 health initiatives is enabling the Arizona-based nonprofit to plan its fifth 360 Health & Wellness cohort and move forward two complementary initiatives: activation of the on-site Virginia G. Piper Health Spot clinic and a Creighton Medical School elective.

When the First Place Global Leadership Institute started developing its 360 Health & Wellness curriculum in 2016, it was just beginning to imagine what was possible in search of a then lofty goal: a healthcare equity model where no one went untreated or was medically misunderstood because of autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities in Arizona—and beyond.

Using a coordinated, comprehensive approach that begins with health and wellness/prevention, the three-course curriculum establishes a continuous health spectrum within a supportive community framework:

• Staying Healthy for individuals with autism/related disorders

• Supporting Independence for families/support providers

• Implementing Care for physicians/other healthcare providers

Incorporating a multidisciplinary approach, the 360 curriculum has the potential to shorten the path to more independent living for the populations we serve.

Click here to read more about this initiative.

Law Enforcement Training for Orange County, CA 

Make Waves is proud to initiate and sponsor a law enforcement training led by The Autism Society of Inland Empire for law enforcement agencies in Orange County, CA.

According to a 2017 study from Drexel University in Philadelphia, by the time they reach age 21, one in five Autistic youths will have been questioned by police and one in 20 will be arrested. With Autism prevalence continuing to climb, there is an urgent need among law enforcement agencies to provide trainings with proven strategies on how to improve communication and de-escalate conflict with people on the spectrum.

This series of trainings will be lead by Brian Herritt, a retired police officer who serves as a subject matter expert and instructor of persons with Autism and developmental disabilities. As a father of a young man with Autism, he has unique insight into both worlds and uses his knowledge and experience to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the Autism community.

The training that we are sponsoring will include:

• Four in-person trainings (each 4 hours long) with Brian, including zoom meetings with a panel of people with Autism/IDD.

• A 90 minute family night to help prepare autistic children, teens and adults for encounters with police officers. 

In addition to these three programs, Make Waves will also be funding another large scale employment initiative that is currently being developed - stay tuned for more details on this to come.

We are proud of the programs that we support, and we are grateful for the hard working organizations that have helped bring these solutions for autistic adults to life. Of course, we wouldn’t have been able to do half of this work without the generous flow of donations that we have received from our supporters over the years.

As we always say here at Make Waves - everybody has the ability to create a ripple effect! Thank you for helping us Make Waves.