



Make The
VIP Connection

Welcome to the Verge of Independence Project: Multimedia Autism Advocacy (VIP), a Neurodiversity Culture that uses multimedia to promote the independence, self-advocacy, and social confidence of autistic adults aged 18+!
"Did you know that nearly 800,000 young adults in the U.S. identify as an autistic person or a person with autism?" Click on the
About Autism, a page to learn more about autism and resources.
Established in 2009, the VIP community supports adult individuals on the spectrum in discovering that Connections Matter. You, too, can make the connection by exploring this resourceful site.

Passport to Independence

travel
Christian Tart, who is now 36 and autistic, started traveling with his mother, Anita Tart-Paschal, when he was just 19 months old. His mother says that careful planning and preparation were key to finding ways to handle the challenges of traveling with her neurodivergent son. By working through those challenges, Christian learned to enjoy trips to places like Jamaica, Florida, the Bahamas, Washington, D.C., Cozumel, Mexico, New York, Ohio, Atlanta, South Carolina, the Yucatán Peninsula, and Nassau. For him, travel has become a path to independence.
New
NEws
Article

Tap into the VIP zone, where you can focus on empowering platforms that support and lead to gaining independence.

VIP News Articles
& Blogs
written by the
award-winning
collegiate journalist
Melissa Lushington
Eva Blackwell Holli Stephens/KYW Newsradio
(CLICK ON IMAGE ABOVE TO READ AND LISTEN TO THE MICRO-INTERVIEW)
click on the image for the full article
Verge of Independence Project Declaration

The Verge of Independence Project, headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the Declaration of Independence is a nonprofit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency and independence of young adults, who are
living on the autism spectrum.
The core values of Verge of Independence Project is rooted in the concepts of appreciating diversity, inclusion for all people,
innovation and thinking differently, and recognizing one’s potential, leading to an independent and productive life. In recognizing
and valuing diversity and inclusion for all people, there is the belief that certain individuals will require specialized
supports to achieve their full potential in life. This belief works on the principle that there is value in all people, and all people
have some talent to offer society. While some individuals are capable of independently offering their talents to better society,
other individuals will require a customized support system in order to manifest their talents. Powered by an unrivaled network
of independence movement leaders, the Verge of Independence Project serves to help individuals with autism in developing
their innate talents.
Our mission and vision of the Verge of Independence Project are to empower young adults living with autism into becoming
independent. Our role in that success is to share resources through social media tools that will assist individuals in exploring
pathways in education and the workforce that will lead towards an independent, productive, and happy lifestyle.
We, therefore, Verge of Independence Project – a.k.a. VIP members, virtually assembled, and mutually pledge to always
recognize that all human beings are equally noble and that everyone has not only the right to dream, but they have the right to
act on achieving their dreams. We solemnly publish and declare, that we will uphold this pledge, respecting ourselves and
others, and never to retreat in fulfilling our life’s mission.




