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Guest Commentary

People in Kansas City with autism deserve help finding an education and rewarding job

By Kim Riley Special to The Star
Gerald Mitchell, left, is a sophomore at the Ewing Marion Kauffman School. Jonah Taylor, right, is a graduate of Raytown schools who owns his own business, Jonah’s Vending. Both attended the Transition Academy in Kansas City.
Gerald Mitchell, left, is a sophomore at the Ewing Marion Kauffman School. Jonah Taylor, right, is a graduate of Raytown schools who owns his own business, Jonah’s Vending. Both attended the Transition Academy in Kansas City.

For 50 years, April has been designated as autism awareness month. Campaigns citing statistics, showing sad faces of little kids and begging for public sympathy are common this time of year.

Well, the awareness message has been received. Just like everyone knows someone who has cancer, we all know someone impacted by autism. And many of those little boys and girls are now fully grown men and women. But they are struggling to find their place in our society that preaches full inclusion when it comes to race, ethnicity, gender and religion — but shuns them and their differences. It’s time to move the needle and focus on action.

With 1 in 44 children being diagnosed with and more than 3.5 million Americans living with autism, it’s time to make room for these individuals. Making room means full inclusion in every area of society including the workforce.

A 2019 Bureau of Labor Statistics report cited employment rates for people with disabilities at 19%, compared to 66% of those without disabilities. And as dire as the statistics are, autism has the lowest employment rates of all disabilities.

The Transition Academy was organized in 2019 to change this trajectory. Our mission is to make economic inclusion a reality for youths with disabilities, especially for young people of color who have historically been failed by our systems.

On April 14, we’re joining forces with the Center for Disability Inclusion and other amazing partners in Missouri and Kansas to advance economic opportunities for these deserving youth by hosting the KC DiversAbility College and Career Fair for the entire metropolitan area. It takes place April 14 at the Metropolitan Community College-Penn Valley Education Center.

The event is results-oriented. There won’t be any trick-or-treating — traveling from table to table gathering a bag of fliers and brochures, then going home and pulling your hair out trying to figure out each system alone. There will be employers and specialists in higher education and government benefits on hand to answer questions. We’ll be offering youths and families hands-on opportunities to complete tasks on the spot, such as filling out applications, setting up user profiles and participating in mock and real interviews.

Johnny Gordon is a Kansas City Teacher Residency Fellow and is pursuing his master’s degree in education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder his senior year in high school and went on to attend Old Dominion University, where he graduated in 2020. He was the Transition Academy’s keynote speaker at the class of 2020 virtual celebration.
Johnny Gordon is a Kansas City Teacher Residency Fellow and is pursuing his master’s degree in education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder his senior year in high school and went on to attend Old Dominion University, where he graduated in 2020. He was the Transition Academy’s keynote speaker at the class of 2020 virtual celebration. Photo courtesy of Kim Riley

We’ll also announce the launch of innovative collaborations with mainstream movers and shakers. For example, we’ll host an entrepreneurship panel moderated by Dan Smith, CEO of the Porter House KC. Dan has done a phenomenal job supporting African Americans to launch businesses. The disabilities community has a golden opportunity called PASS, the Plan to Achieve Self-Support program. PASS pays 100% of startup costs for qualified applicants — but fewer than 1% of qualified people apply for the program nationwide annually. The Transition Academy is committed to joining forces with the Porter House KC to create a pipeline of millionaires through the PASS program.

Autism isn’t something you outgrow. It’s not a terminal condition. It’s a lifelong disorder and it’s time we, as a society, focused on the abilities and employability of these uniquely-abled individuals.

Kim Riley is founder of the Transition Academy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Kansas City that helps young people with disabilities obtain an education and a career. For more information, go to thetransitionacademy.org.
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