Decent: With autism diagnoses growing, Naperville’s Turning Pointe focuses on job training — and public awareness

By Hilary Decent

Sunday, April 2, may be World Autism Awareness Day, but every day at Turning Pointe Autism Foundation is an opportunity to support the autistic community while helping the public understand them better.

The Naperville nonprofit was established by volunteers in 2007, the dream of Randy and Kim Wolf, whose son Jack had been diagnosed with autism when he was 18 months old.

The Wolfs worked hard to help Jack overcome destructive behaviors associated with the disorder. After working with volunteers and professionals to achieve some success, they started the Turning Pointe Autism Foundation to create school programming for more students.

From their start in a town home in South Naperville 12 years ago, they moved into a 3,400-square-foot space on Ogden Avenue. The artwork of the first seven students they took with them to the new school still adorns the hallway.

Since then, the facility has expanded to include children over age 5 and adults. They currently have 49 day students and a dozen adults.

The school operates a clinical interdisciplinary approach. Whereas many schools will focus on just one aspect like play, Turning Pointe says research shows that working on all pieces of the puzzle is more successful.

The school is funded by local school districts, which have a duty to provide education for all children. However, Turning Pointe is a nonprofit because they need to raise money to support adult services.

Carrie Provenzale has worked at the school for 11 years, the last seven as executive director.

“Everyone’s role is intense,” she said. “If I’m ever frustrated with admin work, I take a spin through the building and am lifted back up, especially when I see the kids’ progress. … Nobody works harder than our kids. They are the hardest workers and they inspire me.”

The goal is to ensure the students can find work after they leave the program so “we use the latest evidence-based research towards are goals which are around future employment,” Provenzale said.

With that in mind, some of the adults have jobs at Turning Pointe and others intern for Walgreens, which built a mock store on site to help train them. They learn everything from how to stack shelves to manning cash registers.

Turning Pointe has a practice advisory board worth with doctorate level professionals who consult with the team regularly.

“That sets us up with consulting and training,” Provenzale said. “Our team has acquired this knowledge, and now we want to expand that. We moved here with seven kids, but we always wanted to get all the children.”

Although the organization is planning to expand, they are learning from others before they do, Provenzale said. They’ve seen other groups try to replicate Turning Pointe’s model only to have it lead to a loss in values and quality so right now they’re thinking the goal is to enlarge the footprint they already have, she said.

I asked her where she’d like to see Turning Pointe in 10 years.

“A lot of our clinicians have presented research at conferences. Over the next 10 years we would like to that research published to inform the field,” she said.

Beyond that, she’d like to expand services so they can work with more adults and offer classes for 3- to 5-year-olds.

“It’s always going to be important for community to be mindful of our friends with autism. I can’t believe that in 2023 families are still being stared at (because one of the children is autistic),” Provenzale said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one in 36 children has autism spectrum disorder, which they define as “a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving or paying attention.”

With more people than ever being diagnosed, it is unclear how much is due an actual increase in the disorder, a broader definition of the condition or better diagnosis.

Turning Pointe Program Director Bianca Frost knows what it’s like to be part of a family with autism. Her older sister is on the spectrum.

“It was only when I got a roommate at college that I realized our family structure was different to everyone else’s,” she said. Frost, who has worked at the school for almost nine years, says working at Turning Pointe is all about triumphs and challenges.

“Some of the triumphs that happen here every day include teaching a child their first word. When you do that, you unlock the world for them,” she said. “That’s why we are here.

“Some days are hard but every day is about mastering their goals. You see their personalities come through. It’s unlike anything else. When you are the first friend a student has had, that’s a big triumph. Our staff is fantastic. The kids pour their hearts and souls into their goals. It’s a good little thing we have going back there.”

Turning Pointe is planning a whole month of awareness activities through April. Among them is an ice-cream social from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 2, at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams in downtown Naperville. They’ll also be featured on “Viewpoint Project,” a documentary program that airs on PBS, and the Blue Man Group in Chicago will be holding a benefit for them. On Wednesday, the Naperville City Council approve an Autism Acceptance proclamation.

“Quite a few community organizations have realized the need for training. For example, emergency responders,” Frost said. “We can give them that knowledge. We have two to three times more people working here than at other programs, a whole pool of wealth and knowledge. We do outreach for other groups on what we learn here every day.”

Hilary Decent is a freelance journalist who moved to Naperville from England in 2007.

hilarydecent@gmail.com