In 1995, a frustrated but visionary group of parents of autistic children collaborated to start an organization to bridge the service gaps their families faced as they navigated life as an autistic family. Its name at the time was The Autism Program of Virginia (TAP-VA). The group began the work of bringing awareness and available resources to the community and it wasn’t long before the General Assembly of Virginia supported their mission with a state appropriation. 

Almost 30 years have passed since the organization’s humble beginnings, and the reach has grown and morphed through the years as they focus on bringing resources to the people who need them, helping various organizations, action groups, schools, and clinics. There were many key steps along the way that brought them to where they are today, including a recent rebrand as Commonwealth Autism. “We are still passionate about serving autistic people and their families. Because the need is so great for an organization like ours, we’ve had exponential growth through the years. Now, in addition to providing direct support and services for autistic people, we also work to improve the systems that serve them,” says Tyler Hart, PhD, president and CEO of Commonwealth Autism (CA). 

CA’s mission is to unlock opportunities to support autistic individuals to achieve their potential. Their vision is an inclusive Virginia where all people have the opportunity to participate in every aspect of our community and realize their full potential. Their promise is to be flexible, adapt, learn from safe failures, and continue to evolve to best meet the needs of all Virginians. As evidenced by the mission, their two largest programs are Career Readiness and Employment, connected to their new Good Foods Grocery venture, and Life Skills and Transition. 

Career Readiness and Employment 

To address the barriers to employment for autistic individuals, Commonwealth Autism has developed the Career Readiness and Employment program. This program assists medium to low-needs autistic individuals in learning transferable skills, practicing those skills, and finding and maintaining long-term employment.

“We believe that people with autism and other developmental disabilities have a right to feel fulfilled by their employment. Meaningful employment brings so much purpose. Students of our Career Readiness program have visible confidence growth on day 1. It’s astounding to watch,” Tyler shares. 

Not only do autistic people deserve access to jobs that match their skill sets, but they also benefit from exposure to different career options to make informed decisions about their career path. Maintaining fulfilling employment also supports an autistic individual’s desire to live independently in an inclusive community.

The program contains four main parts:

Classroom Training – focused on skills including communication, teamwork, problem solving, and job seeking skills.

Paid Internship – up to 90 days to practice career readiness skills to prepare them for competitive employment. This currently takes place at CA’s grocery store, Good Foods Grocery in Richmond.

Job Coaching – provide feedback and tools to improve job skills, reaching employment goals, and learn job tasks. The coaching is currently offered for a 12-month period. 

Employment – help identify work preferences based on interest and work strengths. CA engages with employers to identify career opportunities and facilitate employment. Many employers do not have much experience with neurodivergent employees or policies for them, so CA provides employers with guidance on what makes autistic adults different and the many gifts that neurodivergent people can provide to the organization.

In May 2024, seven students graduated from this program. In October 2024, 11 students graduated, and the next session has 13 people enrolled. Because approximately 85% of autistic adults are unemployed in the United States. CA works to expand their sustainable workforce development program. Their hope is that their model can be scaled and duplicated in other geographic areas. 

Good Foods Grocery came about in 1985 as a Richmond based independent grocery store, and in 2023 found a new home with CA. This partnership has created a hub for their career readiness & employment program to launch and thrive. The products here are natural, nutrient-rich, organic, and local whenever possible. Good Foods Grocery is a place that builds confidence, improves life skills, and empowers its employees. Stop in sometime for delicious chicken salad served with a huge smile!

Life Skills and Transition

CA’s Life Skills and Transition program supports adults who live at home with a parent or a supportive caregiver and adults who have already launched to independent living. This program focuses on building and maintaining life skills and encourages adults to take ownership of personal responsibilities in preparation for their transition out of the home. 

Participants meet with a counselor weekly to work on skills such as household cleanliness, finances and budgeting, careers and employment, transportation, fitness, cooking, nutrition, and social skills and relationships.

CA has two fundraising events each year. On April 17, they will hold their Chef’s Cook-Off at Willow Oaks Country Club. This is a prestigious culinary event showcasing top chefs from greater Richmond. 

CA’s other signature event is the Harvest for All fall festival held every October in the Good Foods Grocery shopping center.   The event features live music, pumpkin decoration, a photo booth, and a pumpkin patch.

CA is seeking additional support as it cooks up a new adventure – the TowneBank Community Kitchen. This campaign expands the capacity of Good Foods Grocery to include increased food production and the workforce to support it, as well as building out community space to lease to food entrepreneurs. 

Tyler says, “TowneBank has been an incredibly supportive partner from day one. They have helped us secure financing to purchase Good Foods and contributed foundation funds to our capital campaign to build the new community kitchen. I can say that we would not be where we are without the endless support of Betsy Lacy and all the TowneBank folks!”

For more information, visit CommonweathAutism.org.