They do not know what lies ahead of them or they are too overwhelmed with the daily struggles to look ahead and see what awaits them. In desperation, I try to find parents who have made the leap off the cliff, but it’s very difficult to find parents who have found a way to build support for their adult with disabilities and at the same time, kept their own lives intact. There are so many stories of one parent needing to quit their job to stay home because there aren’t any options for their adult child. I remember reading a story where their adult with autism would sit in his room all day and would only leave his room for meals, to only head back up to his room to fall asleep at night and start the same

process over again each day. That doesn't sound like a way to live. It sounds like a prison sentence.

Due to the lack of options for support from federal and local governments, there has been a gleam of hope from grassroots efforts in cities across America. It isn’t enough, but it is a start. As more parents search for solutions, knowing that their adult with disabilities has a place in society, non-profits and for-profit options are being developed. According to the CDC this year, there are more than 5.4 million adults on the autism spectrum. This statistic is just autism alone and does not account for adults

"Instead of coasting into the sunset, we are getting ready for the fight of a lifetime. We need to build Broden's future because there will be a time when Mark and I will not be here to build it for him anymore."

with other disabilities. Our adult children are not going away, but their parents will eventually. Who will care for them? As Broden's parents, we live each day with that burden. Although we love him with all our hearts and for all that he is, we continuously work to build a path that stretches farther than the cliff. We are planning for the inevitable. Instead of coasting into the sunset, as my husband prepares for retirement in a few years, we are getting ready for the fight of a lifetime. We need to build Broden's future because there will be a time when Mark and I will not be here to build it for him anymore. •

PUZZLES & CAMO

Shelly Huhtanen is an Army wife stationed at Fort Jackson, SC. She enjoys sharing her experiences of her day-to-day life caring for her son with autism. Shelly authored Giving a Voice to the Silent Many that encompasses many stories of raising a child with autism in the military. She also teaches Public Communication at the University of South Carolina and has contributed to EP Magazine for over 10 years.