DIXON, CA (MPG) - Nicolas Brown takes really good photos. Thanks to a mentor who taught him special photography skills, he knows how to use the equipment and is probably more adept with editing software to make them crystal clear than the average photographer. There is no doubt that his mind’s eye is unique.

Nic is talkative and friendly creating a jovial demeanor. He has opinions, love of sports, and Star Wars like most young men but has a sense of innocence about him. He is a robust, 37-year-old man who, like many adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, has missed learning many of the subtleties of life through work and relationships. 

According to a 2015 National Autism Indicators Report, only 32 percent of adults with autism had a job for pay outside of the home within the first two years after leaving high school.

But now, the State is hoping to increase those opportunities for people like Nic, no matter their disability or how it impacts them, who are clients of a Regional Center through a Paid Internship Program (PIP). 

It’s a program that allows people to see an individual’s real capacities, experts say, and offers wage reimbursement that helps job seekers with disabilities get into the workforce. It is funded by the State of California through the Department of Developmental Services (DDS.)

And, no better time than during a workers shortage.

Individuals gain experience and skills for future paid employment at the same organization or elsewhere while employers benefit from PIP by having wages paid by the State. It will pay for up to 1,040 work hours per year, which amounts to up to a 20 hour a week job depending on the employer’s needs.

Really bright people in the community would be a real asset to employers but due to bias, there are barriers that must be overcome, according to experts. People like Nic may initially need more training and support but with the compensation of those hours or up to one year"'whichever comes first"'it gives everybody some breathing room to learn on both sides.

They learn not just concrete skills but all the unspoken things like time management, getting along with coworkers, how to talk with people, and handling responsibilities. It allows someone like Nic to learn new skills while assisting the business with training and support so it doesn’t cost the employer anything; the employer just has to be willing.

Most of these people who got jobs in Dixon, got them through family support or a connection with a business owner so a regional center representative works to build those connections.

Nic held a job for a while a few years ago.

“I met new people and I miss the routine of getting up, going to work, and taking a lunch…but I learned I’m not cut out for everything,” he said, a bit dejected. “I still have trouble with direct eye contact. I’m always a black sheep and was always the odd man out. People were always poking fun at me and I wondered what did I ever do to them?”

Nic is fortunate that his mother has helped him get services that have helped him be able to identify feelings and thoughts that help him communicate smoothly.

And, he has a small job now taking photos for the newspaper. It’s been a year and he’s building a portfolio of front page photos. He says it is his best job because of the one-on-one instruction.

“I want to have the skills to maintain my own life,” he said. “I think I’ve turned out all right. I’ve made a few mistakes, but I’ve learned from them.”

The North Bay Regional Center assists individuals with, or at risk for, a developmental disability obtain services they need to live independent and productive lives. There are 21 centers in California and were established in 1965 with The Lanterman Act. Under this act, the DDS is responsible for overseeing the coordination and delivery of services and supports to more than 360,000 Californians with developmental disabilities including cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, autism, epilepsy and related conditions.

The state’s service system is designed to meet the needs and choices of individuals at each stage of their lives, and, to the extent possible, serve them in their home communities, providing choices that are reflective of lifestyle, cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

For more information, contact the Napa-Solano County Office at 610 Airport Road in Napa or call (707) 256-1100.