Sonoma campus is a breakthrough for adults with autism

Scott Ware | Special to The Sun

An innovative and pioneering new model for meeting the residential living needs of young adults with autism will begin taking shape soon near the heart of downtown Sonoma.

Sweetwater Spectrum, a non-profit organization, was founded by Bay Area families with children with autism who joined hands with other community members and professionals to bring the project to life. It has won enthusiastic support from Sonoma city leaders, accolades from leading authorities on autism and recognition from the California State Senate for foresight and innovation in housing.
A Sept. 10 groundbreaking ceremony will mark the beginning of construction on the $9 million project near Fifth Street West and West Spain.

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first three years of life and affects the brain’s development of communication and social skills. It is the nation’s fastest-growing developmental disorder.

The project will create a 2.8-acre residential setting designed for the unique everyday living needs of young adults with autism. At the same time, Sweetwater will encourage ways for them to participate in the larger community through jobs or day programs. The concept reinforces Sweetwater Spectrum’s mission of helping adults with autism live a “life with purpose,” both at home and in their communities.

Deirdre Sheerin, a Sonoma resident with a history of accomplishment in both non-profit leadership and work with children with autism, has been hired as CEO/executive director of Sweetwater Spectrum. She will provide onsite direction for turning the Sweetwater concept into reality.

The residential community will be constructed on a site four blocks west of the city’s historic downtown plaza. It will include four 4-bedroom homes for sixteen residents, with the ability to expand in the future.

The effort behind Sweetwater Spectrum began in 2005 when a group of San Francisco Bay Area families came together to grapple with the idea of how to provide acceptable housing for their “aging” children with autism as they became adults.  They are not alone in facing that dilemma: in the coming decade, as many as half a million children with autism in the United States will become adults, and very few residential options exist to care for them.

 The Sweetwater founding families and advisors toured the country and selected elements from existing residential options for persons with developmental disabilities to create a comprehensive new model for those specifically with autism. This led to the development of a comprehensive model that aims to provide them with a compassionate and pragmatic program of life choices.

 “As the model evolved, our mission has changed quite a bit,” said Mark Jackson, who was one of the original parents and is president of the board of Sweetwater Spectrum. “Originally, it was about finding acceptable housing. It has evolved into creating community and fulfilling lives for our future residents.  This has been the ultimate labor of love for our team.”

Their efforts are supported by an advisory board that draws from some of the nation’s leading advocates, physicians and professionals in the field of autism.

One of its advisers is Dr. Bryna Siegel, director of the Autism Clinic at the University of California, San Francisco. She describes Sweetwater as “a model that families all over the U.S. will want to see and learn from: a carefully-considered residential live-and-work community reflecting great sensitivity to personal needs of residents and their families, and an intelligent application of learning and growth. Its homes, programs and community integration will support and enhance its residents’ quality of life and independence.”

To date, Sweetwater Spectrum has raised about 75 percent of the project’s cost through donations, pledges and a modest construction loan from a local bank. The remaining funds are expected to come from additional capital gifts from individuals and foundations in the coming years.

Sweetwater Spectrum bought the property from the City of Sonoma in December 2009. It was selected from among six bidders for the five contiguous parcels that include frontage at 19347 Fifth Street West and 726 West Spain. The development proposal has since completed all environmental reviews and rezoning. It has secured its use permit and been through design review, all with enthusiastic support from the City of Sonoma and surrounding neighborhoods.

The campus will include a single-level, 2,350-square-foot community center with a teaching kitchen, an exercise studio, a media room and an art/music room. A 1,440 square-foot-welcome center will house a reception area, administration offices and a studio apartment for a land steward.

A gardening program will include a 1.25-acre organic garden, fruit orchards and energy-efficient production greenhouses to provide opportunities for physical skill development and healthy eating.

Sonoma Mayor Laurie Gallian said she believed the Sweetwater project would be a tremendous asset to the Sonoma community. “This is another important way the city can move forward with its commitment to supporting diversity in housing, whether it is affordable housing, senior housing, sweat-equity housing and now an appropriate living opportunity for adults with autism.”

Gallian said Sweetwater was also a good fit for Sonoma because it is a community with a lot of engagement from non-profit organizations and an active core of volunteers who can help make the project a success.

Construction is expected to take about a year. Its first residents will be selected from the full spectrum of autism and with participation encouraged from individuals and families regardless of their financial capacity. By providing a network of family, friends and neighbors, it is intended to provide a lifetime home and a sense of belonging for its residents.

For the founding families of Sweetwater Spectrum, such a community is a far cry from what they were finding as they first looked into existing options for their children. Board chairman Jackson said when his son turned 18 two years ago, “his caseworker politely said there was no appropriate residential placement for him in Northern California. The other families have similar stories. That really lit the fire under us to create Sweetwater.”

In their travels to look at available models, the founding families came to the conclusion that community integration was critical, said Carolyn Klebanoff, whose 18-year-old daughter has autism. “So we decided we wanted a site within walking distance of grocery stores, movies, cafes. And we wanted to create a community of peers larger than what one would see in individual homes, to maximize opportunity for social interaction.”

Now, said Jackson, the families can see a future in which their adult children are part of a “happy, engaged group of residents who are truly part of their local community.”

That, Jackson said, is what he envisions success looking like at Sweetwater. But that’s only part of it. “Success also means helping the many other parents facing these same challenges across the country in pursuing their dreams for a life with purpose for their children.”