I have proudly worked for Howard Center for nearly 14 years, and over that time I’ve held many different roles. My current role finds me working with autistic children and supporting their families in the Autism Spectrum Program, providing important personal care assessments to disabled children across the agency and in coordination with the state of Vermont, and finding time to be in community with people from marginalized backgrounds and identities.
We live in an increasingly individualized world, and we all experience the distress of living in uncertain and sometimes scary times. News reporting can be inflammatory and stressful, acts of hate and discrimination plague us, and the American ideal of hyper-individualization can be isolating for many. The world finds way to divorce us from our communities. However, there is power and strength in community, and we must foster this power and strength in order to impact meaningful change for ourselves, our friends and family, and the people we serve at Howard Center. Strong communities help us weather the storm of daily life.
Humans are inherently social beings. Research shows significant associations between community and social relationships, and mental health outcomes, both at the individual and population levels. Finding our community allows us to experience greater empathy, compassion, and reminds us of our humanity. Without community and strong social ties, people report higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Poor mental health can negatively impact our physical health as well. Like most things, social solitude is best experienced in moderation. Simply put, our isolation from those around us and our communities is quite literally making us sick.
I have found community at Howard Center. I work with people who care about me, and I care deeply about them. I’ve had the honor of seeing children and families grow in significant measures over the course of more than a decade. I’ve helped connect those same children and families to people like them – others with the lived experience of disability. I spend time with disabled colleagues to learn more about the struggles of disabled people and discuss how these struggles can impact our clients, but also ourselves. Despite legislation (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) that touts inclusion, disabled people still find themselves excluded from many parts of their communities, be it employment, education, platonic and romantic relationships, healthcare, and more. Howard Center provides a lighthouse in an individualized society; a place for folks to connect, build meaningful bonds, and get the support they need.
Living joyfully and connecting with those around us is an act of strength and resistance in a culture that so often makes us lonely. So many things divide us – politics, technology, societal norms. Even asking for help can be seen as a weakness. Community brings joy and belonging, and we must nurture it for all people. At Howard Center, we have the power to normalize seeking help, support, and finding community; in fact, it’s right there in our motto: “Help is here”.
A note on language: the author has used “identity first” language in this essay, which places the emphasis on a person’s identity, and therefore uses language such as “disabled” and “autistic”. Many disabled people report preferring identity first language. Identity first language recognizes that disability is a core part of a person’s identity, and may more accurately describe how people see themselves. To learn more, visit: https://askearn.org/page/people-first-language
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Jaime Beaudin: Finding Community in an Individualized World
I have proudly worked for Howard Center for nearly 14 years, and over that time I’ve held many different roles. My current role finds me working with autistic children and supporting their families in the Autism Spectrum Program, providing important personal care assessments to disabled children across the agency and in coordination with the state of Vermont, and finding time to be in community with people from marginalized backgrounds and identities.
We live in an increasingly individualized world, and we all experience the distress of living in uncertain and sometimes scary times. News reporting can be inflammatory and stressful, acts of hate and discrimination plague us, and the American ideal of hyper-individualization can be isolating for many. The world finds way to divorce us from our communities. However, there is power and strength in community, and we must foster this power and strength in order to impact meaningful change for ourselves, our friends and family, and the people we serve at Howard Center. Strong communities help us weather the storm of daily life.
Humans are inherently social beings. Research shows significant associations between community and social relationships, and mental health outcomes, both at the individual and population levels. Finding our community allows us to experience greater empathy, compassion, and reminds us of our humanity. Without community and strong social ties, people report higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms. Poor mental health can negatively impact our physical health as well. Like most things, social solitude is best experienced in moderation. Simply put, our isolation from those around us and our communities is quite literally making us sick.
I have found community at Howard Center. I work with people who care about me, and I care deeply about them. I’ve had the honor of seeing children and families grow in significant measures over the course of more than a decade. I’ve helped connect those same children and families to people like them – others with the lived experience of disability. I spend time with disabled colleagues to learn more about the struggles of disabled people and discuss how these struggles can impact our clients, but also ourselves. Despite legislation (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) that touts inclusion, disabled people still find themselves excluded from many parts of their communities, be it employment, education, platonic and romantic relationships, healthcare, and more. Howard Center provides a lighthouse in an individualized society; a place for folks to connect, build meaningful bonds, and get the support they need.
Living joyfully and connecting with those around us is an act of strength and resistance in a culture that so often makes us lonely. So many things divide us – politics, technology, societal norms. Even asking for help can be seen as a weakness. Community brings joy and belonging, and we must nurture it for all people. At Howard Center, we have the power to normalize seeking help, support, and finding community; in fact, it’s right there in our motto: “Help is here”.
A note on language: the author has used “identity first” language in this essay, which places the emphasis on a person’s identity, and therefore uses language such as “disabled” and “autistic”. Many disabled people report preferring identity first language. Identity first language recognizes that disability is a core part of a person’s identity, and may more accurately describe how people see themselves. To learn more, visit: https://askearn.org/page/people-first-language