Housing, Support and Community for Individuals with Autism [Podcast Episode #247]

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges of housing and support for individuals with autism and their families, highlighting the work of Unity Communities.

Housing, support and community for individuals with autism and other disabilities and the families who love them. Unity is a non-profit organization inspired by parents of a child with autism. As their son grew older they looked for resources to answer the questions: Who will care for my son when we’re gone. He may never be able to live independently, care for himself fully, or keep himself safe. We have family who love him deeply – but not the level of support required for his long-term care. So we searched, first locally, then nationally. What we found was heartbreaking. There were no truly appropriate housing options – and those that came close had waitlists up to 15 years long. So, we waited. Jenny McCarthy spoke the truthful and fearful words we all think in our minds, a truth so many parents carry but rarely say out loud: “The name of my next book is going to have to be “I Can’t Die”. Unity Communities exists to bring people together – families, partners, investors, and advocates – to create new pathways forward. Because no one should have to ask: “What happens when I’m no longer here?” And no one should have to answer that question alone... Click Here or Click the link…

People in this episode

Host: Karen Thomas

Topics covered

• housing
• support
• community
• autism
• disabilities
• families

Keywords

• autism
• housing
• support
• community
• disabilities
• families
• long-term care

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Unity

More episodes of Naturally Recovering Autism with Karen Thomas

• From Silence to Connection: How Children with Autism Begin to Develop Speech and Communication Naturally [Podcast Episode #246] · May 20, 2026 · 18 min
• Natural Ways to Help Children with Autism Build Confidence, Communication, and Social Skills [Podcast Episode #245] · May 6, 2026 · 59 min
• You Don’t Have to Navigate Autism Recovery Alone: The Power of Community and Shared Experience [Podcast Episode #244] · April 21, 2026 · 11 min
• Can Autism Symptoms Improve? What Many Parents Are Discovering [Podcast Episode #243] · April 8, 2026 · 14 min
• The Hidden Stress Autism Parents Carry That Most People Never See [Podcast Episode #242] · March 26, 2026 · 13 min
• The 7 Most Common Mistakes Parents Make in Autism Recovery (and How to Avoid Them)” [Podcast Episode #241] · March 11, 2026 · 19 min