NEW HORIZONS: Broward College offers first autism-friendly avionics training

STORY BY CHRISTINE KNAUER

“FROM AN EMPLOYER’S POINT OF VIEW, EMPLOYEES ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM TEND TO BE EXCEPTIONALLY LOYAL AND VERY HARD WORKERS.” - RUSSELL MCCAFFERY, Dean of Transportation at Broward College

I n December, Zachary Hopkins will graduate from what’s likely the first initiative of its kind in the country – an autism-friendly avionics training program at Broward College in southern Florida. The new program exemplifies how the school celebrates diversity and inclusion and empowers students of all abilities by providing them with pathways to employment. “Electronics was something I was interested in, but not airplanes specifically,” Hopkins said. “I was open to the idea and willing to see what the options were.”

In launching the program, Broward College partnered with a local organization called HAAPE (Helping Adults with Autism Perform and Excel), which creates, funds and nurtures employment programs by collaborating with companies and other organizations. “HAAPE started in mid-2016 when several friends and I heard about the plight of autistic people, specifically our friend’s son who was 22 and aging out of high school,” said Dr. Larry Rothman, chairperson and cofounder of HAAPE (pronounced happy). “The situation was dire with no real support after high school and bleak employment prospects.” For today’s workers, having a tangible and highly marketable skill is important. For adults with autism, it’s even more crucial.

To reach individuals with autism and their families, HAAPE partners with the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities, a nonprofit collaboration between the University of Miami and Nova Southeastern University, or UM/NSU CARD. “When we met with the head of UM-NSU CARD, we learned that unemployment and underemployment rates for people with autism is 80% to 90%, and few organizations support job seekers,” Rothman said. “Unfortunately, many people on the autism spectrum never leave their home. HAAPE was born with a focused mission to seek out employment for people on the spectrum.”