Introduction

The story is told largely through the example of Bittersweet Farms, a habilitation residence for adults with autism. This farmstead community is dedicated to the lives and treatment of autistic adults; its philosophy is guided by a humanistic and holistic perspective while its day-to-day practice is guided by the concepts of behavior management and skill development. Autism has carried a variety of names including Kanner’s syndrome, childhood schizophrenia, mental retardation, early infantile autism, atypical development and symbiotic psychosis. Social development during adolescence is affected greatly by autism, and often helped by social skills training according to Mesibov. In 1983, Bittersweet Farms was licensed as an intermediate care facility by the Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. The community, its residents and staff have all grown and developed in important ways in the six years since its opening. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.