The Little House of Neurodiversity has some big plans.
The group was started late last year by two women from Hillsboro, Rebecca Manion and Heidi Rosenthal, and it advocates for and supports county residents who are termed “neurodiverse,” as well as their families and other caregivers.
According to the group’s website, neurodiverse takes in people with a variety of conditions, including those who are on the autism spectrum. Others have learning disabilities or ADD (attention-deficit disorder) or have genetic, medical or neurological conditions.
Some of the people the group is trying to reach are high-performing but may have trouble functioning in society.
“They call it a spectrum for a reason,” Manion said.
Both women know about neurodiversity first-hand.
Manion said her son is on the autism spectrum, and while services were available to him when he was attending school, things changed when he turned 18.
“There was not a lot available,” she said. “If someone doesn’t want to live at home with their parents for their entire lives, the government doesn’t have a lot of options. He moved out and went to live in a house with another person, but that didn’t go well at all. When we tried to help him, he didn’t want to come back home at his age.”
Manion said she and her husband bought him a small house in Festus – and the idea for Little House of Neurodiversity was hatched, even if Manion didn’t realize it at the time.
“I lived with him until he got on his feet,” Manion said of her son. “I understood his need to get out and grow. He needed to be himself. We did find a state program where people will come in and help him and support him, and he’s doing very well.”
Meanwhile, Rosenthal got interested in autism-related issues, both through her life and her work.
She said two of her children were diagnosed on the spectrum.
“They’re high-performing people, but they still needed help they weren’t getting in the school setting,” she said. “So I homeschooled them.”
A video producer and director, Rosenthal became even more immersed in the subject after she produced and directed a documentary called “The Spectrum of Autism” and connected with other parents of children diagnosed as neurodiverse.
Still, it took a chance text message from Rosenthal to Manion in October 2021 to get the wheels turning on the Little House of Neurodiversity.
“Our kids played together when they were young, but I think I hadn’t connected with Heidi for 15 years when she texted me last fall,” Manion said. “We got to talking, and we decided we both wanted to do something to help neurodiverse people and their families.”
Manion said they looked into the legalities of establishing the group, and by spring, it was up and running.
Starting small
“We’ve always had multiple plans, but our idea has always been to start small and blossom from there,” Manion said.
The demand, she said, is definitely there.
“According to statistics I’ve seen, one in 60 school children is diagnosed as being along the autism spectrum each year,” Manion said. “That means in a county the size of Jefferson, there’s likely to be at least 1,000 families who need some help.”
To start, the group scheduled respite dates, providing activities for both individuals and groups, such as board games, movies and other activities. A quiet sensory friendly room is provided, as are snacks.
“These (respite dates) are designed to give the caregivers a rest. A lot of time, the caregivers get really stressed,” Rosenthal said.
“My son said the respites also are great for them, because it gives them a chance to get away from their caregivers for a little while,” Manion said.
Volunteers who staff the respite dates are trained in CPR, first aid and seizure management.
“That’s what sets us apart from some of the others,” Rosenthal said. “Seizures and other medical situations are not uncommon with neurodiverse people. We want you to know that we can handle it.”
The cost for a respite date, which ranges from two to four hours, is $12, but Manion said financial support is available.
“The other thing to remember is that we don’t ask for a diagnosis to get in to one of our respite dates,” Rosenthal said. “If you think you may fit in here, you’re welcome.
“And because Jefferson County is a large county, we’ve purposefully got sites lined up at churches in all four corners, so that someone in Arnold doesn’t always have to drive to Hillsboro.”
The respite dates are held at New Hope Methodist Church in Arnold, Hillsboro Christian Church, Spring Hills Presbyterian Church in Byrnes Mill and Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church in the Festus area.
The club’s next building block is establishing activities.
“We found there was interest in playing Dungeons and Dragons (a fantasy role-playing game), so for the first six weeks of our new club, Club Little House, that’s what we’ll be playing,” Rosenthal said.
The club will meet from 6-9 p.m. Fridays beginning Nov. 4 on the Hillsboro campus of Jefferson College.
Future clubs, Rosenthal said, will be determined by the interest of both those who want to attend and those who want to run them.
“We could have a building club, otherwise known as a robotics club,” she said. “We’re thinking about a possible art club, and perhaps a theater club.”
“I think it would be good to have an audio-visual activity club, where people can learn video recording and editing,” Manion said.
“I obviously have a background in that,” Rosenthal said. “The idea is to tap into their interests, and help them grow and flourish, find out their passions and go with it.”
“We’re only limited by our volunteers on what they want to help us with. If we get support, we’d like to offer it,” Manion said.
Down the road
Rosenthal said she and Manion have talked with businesses around the county about opening up some employment opportunities or internships for some of the neurodiverse population.
“Employment would not be ideal for everyone, but it might be ideal for some,” Rosenthal said. “We want to be creative. Not everything we will offer will fit everyone’s needs, and we want them to grow at their own pace.”
Eventually, Manion said, the group would like to see a small community of tiny houses established to allow some of the neurodiverse to have their own households – with assistance – and not live under their parents’ roofs.
“And eventually, we’d like to be able to apply for grants and raise enough money that we could hire some support staff,” Rosenthal said. “We will always need volunteers, though.”
How you can help
Like most nonprofit organizations, Little House of Neurodiversity accepts donations through its website at littlehousemo.org.
The group also will hold its first fundraiser, a Halloween party, from 5:30-9:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at the Hillsboro Community Civic Center, 10349 Business 21.
“We hope this is going to be the largest trunk-or-treat in Jefferson County,” Rosenthal said. “We’re going to have people in classic car clubs come out, and we can always use other trunks. And this is going to be an ageless trunk-or-treat. Everyone can come out and get candy.”
The evening also will include car decoration and costume contests, music and dancing, a 50-50 raffle and a sale of food, including baked items.