Higher Ground Integrated Human Services Inc of Albany New York

11/03/2022

"As parents or caregivers, we are the general contractors from day one. We research an overwhelming amount of possibilities to achieve a blueprint worthy of our loved ones."

11/03/2022

You don't have to go it alone. Reach out for help.

Roughly half of mothers of children with autism have high levels of depressive symptoms, new research finds, a rate that's significantly greater than for mothers of typically developing children.

10/17/2022

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Whether you are an autistic employee or job-seeker or an employer, we have tools and resources to help build and support inclusive workplace culture: https://okt.to/5B2JuO

09/15/2022

"My name is Randy Walker Jr, I was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. When I was born the doctors told my mom that I wasn't gonna be able to walk, talk and hear and, by God's grace, I now have a job/career in CSP (Central Sterile Processing) at a hospital. Growing up, autism was tough but my mom always told me that autism is a part of you but not all of who you are. My message to people with autism is that you can do anything you set your mind to."

09/15/2022

A one-of-a-kind national network of autism centers designed to transform how care is developed and provided to those on the spectrum and their families is growing.

09/13/2022

https://www.disabilityscoop.com/2022/09/06/new-integrated-supportive-housing-offers-idd-first-apartment/30019/?fbclid=IwAR02PPcski_yLSoY4LY1VYoOoYoC-2Wg1bjzSCDWToIbVxot3yB-xXl6Xxo

A new apartment complex is part of a growing network of options allowing people with developmental disabilities who never thought they'd be able to live alone the support they need to do so.

09/12/2022

Our Mission
Providing services and support to
assist each individual to embrace
their capabilities and pursue their
personal responsibilities.

09/09/2022

Enjoy the weekend!

09/08/2022

https://www.verywellhealth.com/explaining-childs-asperger-syndrome-259941

You may wonder if you should tell others that your child has high-functioning autism. Here's how to decide if you should reveal it and how.

09/08/2022

We believe............
Everyone has the right to be:
Be treated with dignity and respect. Realize their personal goals
and enjoy the fruits of their efforts. Be fulfilled in their lives. Have options for where they live, work, and play.

09/07/2022

One year ago, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally, officially made its way into the world. It's weird to talk about my book like it's my baby and I'm celebrating its first birthday, but in a way, I do feel like I've nurtured it lovingly and experienced the roller coaster of bringing it to life and sustaining it since its conception as a tiny seedling of an idea back in 2019.

Okay, that's enough of the baby comparison. Anyway, it's probably more accurate to flip things around: this book has sustained me.

How do we move ahead when each push forward seems like its met by two pushes back? I know I've had so many moments of feeling helpless or hopeless, worn down by yet another encounter with ableism, burnt out by the endless grind of activism, wondering if it's worth it to keep going in this work.

But then messages will pop up in my inbox with kind notes from people who read Demystifying Disability. And they'll tell me that their child engaged in a conversation about disability because they saw the book's cover. That as a disabled person, they felt seen. That they have now decided to embrace their disability as an identity. That they've realized how they, as a nondisabled person, can better support their disabled child, spouse, parent, friend, colleague, student. That they want to put action behind being an ally, even if they make mistakes along the way.

None of this is to say I haven't also received valid critiques from readers. I'm always learning, growing, and trying to do better, just as I ask others to do the same. I'm one disabled person among more than a billion, and my experiences and perspectives aren't representative of the entire population. My book is a stone thrown into an ocean, rippling outward among so many waves. (Yes, we're on to another extended metaphor.)

There's something both humbling and empowering about being part of the ripple effect toward change--to know that what I've written could possibly help lead even one person toward not just accepting, but embracing disability for all its messy, complicated beauty. I don't take this responsibility lightly, nor do I take anyone's willingness to read my words for granted.

As my book enters its second year of existence, I'm committed to continuing the work, even when the waters are rough, to shift toward a more inclusive, accessible world. I hope that in whatever way is most accessible to you (swimming, jet-skiing, inner tube that looks like a donut, etc.), we can continue to navigate these waters together.

Image description: Me, a white woman with brown curly hair and glasses, wearing a black dress, sitting in wheelchair, holding multiple copies of Demystifying Disability.

09/07/2022

Welcome to our page!
Currently, our website is under construction, adding the details of our NEW Supported Employment "SEMP" service.
This support is designed to help participants obtain competitive employment. SEMP has two stages Intensive and Extensive. As the participant is ready staff will help the individual in job employment/job finding, situational assessment and reassessment, job coaching, skill training and more.
If you are looking for more information about SEMP service or other services provided by Higher Ground, please feel free to call us at 1-838-934-1525