Maurice Snell … rockstar!
by Rachel
Maurice Snell is a charmer. He’s friendly, articulate and quite the comedian! But more importantly, Maurice is a man living with autism who has found his niche in life.
You might remember Maurice from his year as Easter Seals’ national adult representative in 2007. He spent that year telling his story here on the Easter Seals blog and across the U.S.
Maurice is 29 years old now, and he was back in action again yesterday telling his story on Chicago Public Radio (WBEZ-FM).
The interview was live, and my intern Kelly and I were honored to be there to watch — and hear — Maurice talk to the interviewer about what it’s like to live with autism. Maurice was joined by a parent of an adult child with autism and Cassie Walker Burke, who just wrote an article in Chicago Magazine about people with autism transitioning into adulthood. They chatted about some of the hurdles for adults with autism :
- Finding accommodating employers who will pay fair wages
- Transportation to and from work
- Communicating with peers
- The lack of supports when they turn 21
- Opportunities for higher education
Maurice received services at Easter Seals Metropolitan Chicago when he was little, and although he faced many struggles because of his autism, he went on to graduate from college and hopes to go back for his Master’s degree. In the interview, Maurice said the hardest part for him was finding a job. He now works as an administrative assistant at Easter Seals Therapeutic School and Center for Autism Research and helps with the music therapy program there, too. Maurice plays keyboard and does vocals for His band, The Naturals, and they practice together every week.
It was really fun to be there for the interview, and Maurice was a huge hit! I was so proud of him. He took us to the autism school to give us a tour after the radio show. You’ll have to stay tuned for my next post to find out more about all that, but I can tell you this much right now: Maurice is a rock star wherever he goes!
February 22nd, 2013 at 12:12 am
Very well-written blog post, Rachel! I would like to give thanks to the Easter Seals team for their hard work and making all of this possible. Thanks to all of the listeners for tuning in!