Serge Goldstein of Ewing, with his son Sam, at the grand opening of Eden Autism Services’ Armstrong House in Ewing on Sept. 10, 2015. Sam is a resident in the home.
By Aliza Alperin-Sheriff
Peter Bell believes that individuals with autism should be integrated into the rest of the community as much as possible.
“Everyone deserves the opportunity to lead an independent and productive life; for those living with autism, being part of a community allows for the chance to live with dignity, meaning and respect,” said Bell, president and CEO of Eden Autism Services, which provides support services for people with autism and their families.
“The people we serve deserve to live in nice neighborhoods and nice homes.”
Eden’s new group home, located in the quiet Mountainview development in Ewing, provides a chance for four adult men with autism to live the kind of life Bell talks about.
Eden closed on the house in September 2013. Before the residents moved in late last year, Eden had to make renovations including splitting the master bedroom into two rooms and installing a sprinkler system.
Although Eden has 22 residential programs, most of which are located in Mercer County, this home is the first to be located in Ewing.
The home has been named the Armstrong House in honor of retiring director of development Andy Armstrong and his family. Eden held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the house on Sept. 10, which offered local officials and residents to tour the house and meet its residents.
The Ewing home is special in that two of the residents, Louie, 45, and Sam, 27, come from families that live in Ewing. Bell said that this is an uncommon, but favorable situation.
“We can help them be important contributing members of our society and keep them close to their families. It’s a really unique opportunity that we have here,” he said.
Prior to moving into the Ewing home, neither Louie or Sam lived at Eden facilities, but the other two residents of the home, both in their 40s, had lived together in another Eden group home for many years.
Before Eden, Louie lived at another facility approximately 50 miles from Ewing, said his mother, who did not wish to be identified for this article.
She said that at the time she would make the trek to bring Louie home every weekend and drop him back off on Sunday or Monday.
She wanted to transfer Louie to Eden because they had a great reputation and closer facilities, although at the time she did not realize quite how close.
“It was a coincidence that they bought a house in Ewing,” she said.
Having Louie close to home has been a wonderful experience for his mother.
“Louie can come home for dinner with me or even with some of my relatives, so that is a great bonus,” she said.
In addition to being able to bring Louie home more easily, his mother can just as easily stop by for a short visit.
“It’s a really positive situation. I can be part of his life and he’s aware of that. Visiting is fun and allows me to bring over a snack or dinner,” she said, adding that sometimes her friends or daughter will bring dinner to the group home.
Besides appreciating the physical proximity, Louie’s mother is pleased with the community and services that Eden provides.
Even before she moved Louie to Eden, his mother supported the organization’s fundraising efforts. She said she felt camaraderie with the other parents and felt that Eden was willing to listen to suggestions and make improvements, something she hadn’t experienced with other programs.
Louie is involved in a vocational program run by Eden in Hamilton called Crossroads, where he develops skills that will help him in everyday life.
“He helps setting the table, clearing off the table and clearing out the garbage,” said his mother, noting that he also gets the opportunity to use the gym there.
One important reason that Louie’s mother wanted him at Eden is because he is non-verbal and Eden has a program that uses iPad apps to help non-verbal individuals with autism to communicate.
She is still waiting for Louie to get involved with the program, but she is very optimistic about the prospect.
“It would be great if he could tell us he didn’t feel well or wants a drink or is hungry or wants to go to a movie,” she said.
She added that since Louie was never taught signs it would be “the best gift” he could receive.
In contrast to Louie, Sam is verbal and functions at a higher level.
“He can read, you can have a conversation with him, but he has some big deficits as well, principally behavioral,” said Sam’s father Serge Goldstein.
Before moving to the Eden home, Sam had been at a facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, since 2003.
A few years ago the state government instituted a program called Return Home New Jersey to bring adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities living at residential facilities in other states back to New Jersey.
Goldstein said that he and his wife were told about the program and learned that Eden was operating a house in Ewing.
“It seemed like the stars were aligned,” he said.
He explained that Sam had been involved with Eden’s programs as a young child, including attending an Eden camp, so the family was well-acquainted with the organization.
When Sam was in Pennsylvania, he lived on an enclosed campus, meaning that moving into a group home in a regular neighborhood has been an adjustment for him.
Goldstein explained that Sam’s behavioral issues include aggressive episodes and that since he is still getting used to the new environment he is testing his limits. In the time that he has been living in the group home, he has broken five television sets.
Goldstein believes that the group home will ultimately be a very positive experience for Sam.
“It’s not so much what’s already happened, it’s the potential for the future,” he said.
Sam is currently working at an Eden facility called the Briggs Center. The staff there work to provide opportunities to help him engage more broadly with the community.
Like Louie’s mother, Goldstein is enjoying having his son in town.
“It makes it easier for us to see him, which is nice. Occasionally he’ll call me up to get him and take him our for ice cream,” he said.
Goldstein also appreciates that Sam can live near home, but still have the support of professionals.
“The reality is that if Sam were not violent in the ways he is, he would be living with us, which wouldn’t necessarily be a good thing. An adult probably shouldn’t be living with his parents,” he said.
Eden Autism Services was founded in 1975 and opened its first group home in East Windsor in 1979. Today Eden group homes provide living facilities for 86 adults with autism. The organization was among the first service providers to expand its program to address the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum from the point of diagnosis through adulthood.
Its services include early intervention therapy, a school for students aged 3 to 21, adult employment and residential programs, and curriculum and consultation for educators and other professionals. According to Eden, Autism is the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the U.S. with a national prevalence rate of 1 in 68 children (1 in 45 in New Jersey).
All of Eden’s group homes are located in regular residential neighborhoods. Bell said that before opening a new home, Eden will reach out to the neighbors and develop relationships with the municipalities in which they are located.
“We make sure they know who we are and if they have any questions or concerns they can contact us,” he said. “Our goal, quite honestly, is to be the best neighbors in the neighborhood.”
Bell added that so far Ewing has been a very welcoming community.
“I think we have a good rapport with the neighbors,” he said. “We have a lot of interactions with them with issues like cutting bushes or whatever—like any other neighbors.”
Goldstein said that he applauds Ewing for being so open to embrace the Eden group home.
“I’m really happy to live in a community so receptive to these facilities,” he said.
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