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PHOENIX — For families of students with autism, high school graduation is not always a celebration. For many, it marks the moment a critical safety net disappears.
Arizona Autism Charter Schools is working to change that. The school recently hosted a “transition fair” — a reimagined take on the traditional job fair — bringing together dozens of vendors, including colleges, employers, recreation programs and public transit trainers, all under one roof.
“We invite organizations to come in and meet with families to support them with their transition after high school,” said Denise Ballard, Main Campus Director for AACS.
The event is designed to show students and families that life after high school comes with real options — and to equip them with the tools to access those options.
“We have workforce places where the students can get jobs — supported employment or work on their own,” Ballard said. “We even teach kids how to ride the bus so they can be more independent.”
For many families, the lack of a post-graduation plan can be paralyzing. School officials say that without structured support, both students and parents are often left without direction.
“The students don’t know what to do next. The families don’t know what to do next,” Ballard said.
That uncertainty is something Kerrie Mallory-Thompson knows firsthand. Her 16-year-old son, Connor, is on the autism spectrum, and the question of what happens after high school weighs on her constantly.
“My biggest worry after high school is what’s going to happen to him,” Mallory-Thompson said. “Can he communicate with other people? Get a normal job? Is he going to be safe in the community?”
Rather than wait, Mallory-Thompson acted. Inspired by a therapy activity, she helped launch a T-shirt printing business designed to teach job skills to people on the autism spectrum. The idea came from Connor himself, who got excited about making a shirt during therapy.
“We said, let’s not just do it for him — let’s do it for others and teach them job skills,” she said.
Today, her company employs students and graduates on the spectrum. At the transition fair, she attended as a vendor, looking for future hires — a full-circle moment for a parent who once faced the same fears as the families she now hopes to help.
“It’s amazing — businesses giving these kids the patience and dedication,” Mallory-Thompson said. “It’s just heartwarming.”
School officials say the fair is just one piece of a broader effort to ensure no student falls through the cracks.
“We make sure they have something in place before they leave us,” Ballard said.
Arizona Autism Charter Schools is also looking to expand the concept. The school has another campus in Tucson and is exploring whether a similar fair would meet the needs of students and families there. In the meantime, teachers are working individually with the graduating class — more than 30 students this year — to make sure each has a concrete plan for life after high school.
This story is made possible through grant funding from the Arizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund
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