Building community relationships can go a long way for stakeholders involved with autism services (and beyond).
Small business owners and operators in our communities may have interest in building relationships with, and supporting the autism and special needs communities more broadly (even if they don’t know that YET), which works out well since autistic people have all different sorts of interests, preferences, and skills… even if THEY don’t necessarily know that yet. Exposure can be good for everyone too.
💄💇♀️💈Cosmetologists, salons, hairdressers barbers
☕️ Coffee shops
🧺 Laundromats
🧁 Bakeries
👩🔧👨🔧 Contractors of various types
🚘 Auto repair
🏠 Homeless shelters
🐈🐕🐇 Pet stores, grooming, boarding, animal shelters
🏋️♀️ Gyms
🌼 🌸 🌻 Flower shops
🍲🍺 Breweries or restaurants
🏫 Daycares, educational centers
🩺🏥 Therapy or medical facilities
These arrangements can build awareness about autism and special needs in general, and they can yield meaningful community relationships among all pertinent stakeholders – personal and professional, including, and most importantly, our clients.
What are your thoughts or experiences with this from the perspective of a therapy provider, caregiver, autistic person, community business operator, or anyone else?
Brandon Herscovitch, Ph.D., LABA, BCBA-D
Partners Behavioral Health – higher standards, brighter futures.
