“Life with purpose.” This is the motto of Sweetwater Spectrum, which provides high quality housing choices for adults with autism. Founded in Sonoma in 2009, the community “attempts to maximize residents’ individual development and independence so that they can live with both purpose and dignity with access to a variety of opportunities.” Recently, San Francisco-based photographer Winni Wintermeyer shot the community for the New York Times.
According to the Autism Society, autism is the fastest growing developmental disability, with a 10-17 percent annual growth, estimated at 1 in every 88 births. Not only is this disability largely overlooked in children, but even more so in adults. The fact is, the issue needs attention. As Michael Tortorello states in the article:
“A 2008 Easter Seals study found that 79 percent of young adults with autism spectrum disorders continue to reside with their parents. A solid majority of them have never looked for a job. And yet the life expectancy of people with autism is more or less average. Here is another truth, then, about children with autism: they can’t stay at home forever.”
Therefore, Sweetwater Spectrum is intended to embody practices for housing autistic adults, with the hopes that it will be replicated elsewhere.
There was not much time for planning on Winni’s end, as he received the call from the photo editor just one day prior. He took a look at the Home & Garden section he was shooting for and read up on the autism disability. However, this would not prepare him for the actual experience. He expanded on the challenges of shooting the residents, ensuring that they felt comfortable while getting the shots he needed:
“Communicating with the autistic residents was a new experience to me. There are very different levels of autism, with some I was able to have a conversation while others communicated with hand signals. Being a stranger with a camera felt a bit invasive at times, so whenever possible, I sat down, observed and tried slowly to become part of the interactions. Luckily that day was farm night, where everybody gets together and does group activities on the farm which made it a lot easier for me to blend in.”
Winni found the experience very rewarding, and would like to go back to do something that focuses more on the stories of the residents:
“I haven’t really spent much time around autistic people and that was a crucial experience. Seeing how enthusiastic and caring the staff was around them was a great thing to observe. I learned a little bit about the residents’ life and how differently they communicate with the world which was an experience that I highly enjoyed.”