Today is the beginning of the first day of summer vacation for Matt. He informed me this am with a smile that "It is a beautiful day today". Of course he was right. He appreciates so much that I and others seem to take for granted. In his own little world he actually takes time to notice what the day looks like, what someone is wearing(and lets them known that they look "good"), if someone appears tired, sad or happy. Whereas the majority of us never pay attention to others around us. He is my inspiration today and everyday. He has sooo much to offer but right now is unable to. I began looking into my options for him months before he completed high school. To no avail I have not been fortunate to find anything in my area, or any other parents with children who have autism. I know that they exsist, I am just having trouble finding them. That was my main purpose for starting this blog. In my community and state I am discovering that there isn't many programs if any for autistic young adults. I have made calls to the special education dept for my school district, the major university in the area, and to vocational rehab, but nothing has "panned out". I was even told by one facility that children with autisim and mental disabilities usually just stay home after they complete school. That really infuriated me as well as saddened me. That is not an option for Matt. I will continue to search until I find something for him to help furhter is interaction with others and expand his learning capabilities. "What do others like Matt do?" I asked myself. If there is anyone out there in the state of Mississippi or surrounding states that have any suggestions or ideas please let me know. Like I said Matt and others with autism have so much to offer and have so much to teach the rest of us.