Parents’ Experience with Housing & Supports for Autistic Adults

Here is a link to a video recording of Mary Nisson’s February 19 presentation.

Here is the DDFP-CA website.

Here is an email address to contact Mary: Contact


The Stanford Neurodiversity Project needs you! If you are 18+, with a diagnosis of ADHD, Dyslexia or Autism, OR if you have served as a vocational training instructor for neurodiverse individuals, AND you are willing to take a 5-15 minute survey, please see below for details.


On February 19 AASCEND will explore the ins and outs of housing and supports for autistic adults requiring high levels of support. Mary Nisson will describe her own experience as a parent, and her work in forming the Developmental Disability Future Planning Group of CaliforniaDDFP-CA, also on Facebook — created in response to the statewide crisis caused by the dearth of supported living situations for adults with intellectual disabilities and/or developmental disabilities. The group specifically helps other families troubleshoot together the complicated process of completing their Caregiver Succession Plans and Independent Living Arrangements.

The Zoom meeting URL and password will be sent to people on our email list as the date approaches. No registration is necessary. If you are not on our email list, click here to sign up. 

Mary Nisson is the 61-year-old parent of 33-year-old autistic AASCEND member, David Nisson, pictured here with Mary. David’s profound level of autism requires that he receive 24/7 protective supervision (1:1 staffing ratio), so his Home and Community Based adult living arrangement requires Supported Living Services (SLS), rather than Independent Living Services (ILS). Mary exhausted her financial, emotional and other resources collaborating with David and his agencies in the struggle to obtain for him an affordable, yet desirable, independent SLS living arrangement in their housing-limited hometown of Davis, Yolo County, California. In the process she and David learned how fortunate they were to succeed in this goal, and that our nation suffers from a “perfect storm crisis” of families suffering roadblocks to completing their Caregiver Succession Plans and Independent Living Arrangements. This often leaves adults with autism and similar disabilities without living arrangements when their parents die. So, Mary has started the Developmental Disability Future Planning Group (DDFP) to help other families troubleshoot together this complicated process.

As usual at AASCEND meetings, attendees on the autism spectrum will offer their experience and perspectives throughout the program.

Parent, caregiver or autistic…all are welcome. We hope to see you there!

Who: Adults on the spectrum, family, professionals and friends all welcome!

When: Saturday, Feb 19, 2022 10 – 11 am (approx)

Where: Online via Zoom, URL and password will be emailed.


The Stanford Neurodiversity Project is conducting a study on relationships between vocational training and employability and employment metrics in neurodiverse/neurodivergent individuals. 

We are looking for adults at least 18 years of age who either:

  1. Have a documented diagnosis of ADHD, Dyslexia, or Autism
  2. OR serves or previously served as a vocational training instructor for neurodiverse/neurodivergent individuals

Participation in the study will involve:

  1. Completion of an online consent form
  2. Completion of a 5-15 minute online survey questionnaire

Benefits of participating:

  • May help benefit vocational training and/or employment of neurodiverse/neurodivergent individuals

To enroll in this study, please go to https://redcap.link/ajm4y4bo

For more information, please email stanfordneurodiversityproject@stanford.edu or call (650) 498-9392

For participant’s rights questions, contact 1-866-680-2906