Gateway Transition Center Helping Young Adults Overcome Challenges of Autism

The quest for a meaningful life can be challenging for a young adult on the autism spectrum. Social barriers, intellectual disabilities and undeveloped independent living skills can create insurmountable barriers to achieving dreams of an independent and fulfilling adult life. These young adults can overcome these barriers by identifying the problem issues, receiving the needed training and engaging in real life experiences to provide a level of comfort and proficiency. 

The goal of Gateway Transition Center is to help these young adults overcomes these challenges and progress into a fulfilling adult life.  Located on Joor Road in Central, Gateway Transition Center offers an individualized program that combines the classroom instruction, on the job training and real world experiences that will create a base for individual fulfillment.  Mayor J R Shelton and the Central Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony which welcomed Gateway Transition Center in to the Central community.  The dignitaries toured the classrooms where the clients will receive training in subjects such as social skill development, financial responsibility, cooking, housekeeping skills and personal responsibility. The participants then received a tour of the screen print shop.  This shop, called Gateway Ink, contains a manual screen press that will teach the participants the textile screen print trade. But more importantly, the shop will provide a realistic experience that will prepare the young adult to hold permanent employment in the future.  The shop employees will learn the responsibility required to hold a job, work on social relationships and learn how to manage the money they earn while working.  Eventually, the young adults will identify the vocation that most appeals to them and the Gateway Transition Center staff will create a plan for them to achieve this goal.

Importantly, Gateway Transition Center is mindful of the tremendous financial strain placed on families dealing with autism.  Therefore, the 501(c)3 non profit raises funds to offset the actual cost of attendance for all of its participants. 

Transition services are not the only help needed by families in Central impacted by autism. Often, families of young autistic children struggle to identify and coordinate the care and therapies required by their children. Central City Autism Awareness, led by Debbie Daugherty, is working to bring an all inclusive therapy center to the City of Central. CCAA is speaking with representatives of the Our Lady of The Lake Children’s Hospital to create a center that will combine state of the art therapeutic, educational and medical services that will increase the likelihood of positive outcomes for our families.  In addition, CCAA will receive funds from this year’s Cookin’ in Central.  These proceeds will be used to equip Central elementary schools with therapeutic equipment needed by the school system.  This equipment will greatly increase the school system’s ability to make meaningful changes in the lives of its special needs students.

April 2 is Autism Awareness Day.  It is also the date for Cookin’ in Central.  The confluence of these great events are a representation of the progress being made in the Central community to provide help and respite to our fellow citizens. If you want to help forward these causes in our community, please visit www.gtcbr.org or call 225-384-6338 for more information about Gateway Transition Center. Or to find out more about CCAA, call Debbie Dougherty at 225-571-4252.