Journey Skills Podcast

"We all want friends, a misconception about people on the spectrum is that they don't want friends" Jamie Wheeler tells us in this week’s podcast.  Jamie runs Austen's Autistic Adventures, based in Richardson, Texas, a social group where people over the age of 18 can meet friends and engage in fun activities to develop their social skills. Jamie explains that when her daughter graduated from High School, she lost her peer group as people moved on with the next stages of their lives. Where her daughter had once found comfort in the school choir and theatre groups, there was suddenly a void. Determined to ensure that her daughter didn't remain alone, she gave up her career as a college professor and launched a programme that was financially accessible to all and provided daily activities to allow members to experience real friendship relationships and reap the benefits of being part of a social group. Jamie talks about the challenges of setting up the project and the ongoing battles she has with funding. She ta