Today we’d like to introduce you to Larry Rothman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Life 3.0 started for me three years ago when I co-founded and was named CEO of the non-profit Helping Adults with Autism Perform and Excel (aka HAAPE).
HAAPE helps people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) find sustainable and meaningful employment-tragically the unemployment/underemployment rate for people with ASD is between 80-90%.
My life is easily put into 3 phases, the first, growing up in Brownsville Brooklyn and later the Bronx in an economically challenged family. Fortunately, after getting educated with a college degree and then getting a PhD in Physical Organic Chemistry, I was excited to enter Life Phase 2-successfully pursuing multiple careers for the what turned out to be 44 years!
While the experiences were rewarding, my satisfaction wasn’t quite there until one day a friend approached me and told me about his 22 years old son with ASD who was graduating from high school and was about to enter the “Support Cliff”. Life 3.0 quickly began and has led to great personal satisfaction as I give back to a society that has been so good to me.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’ve learned that success in the business world doesn’t always mean satisfaction in life. Giving back to the world by focusing my energies on working with people with Autism has brought me joy, satisfaction and peace.
Please tell us about Helping Adults with Autism Perform and Excel (HAAPE).
Helping Adults with Autism (HAAPE) based in Weston is an all-volunteer 501C3 non-profit organization dedicated to finding meaningful and sustainable employment for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This is a priority as people with ASD suffer from unemployment/underemployment rates reported to be 80-90% and nearly 40% don’t leave their homes.
HAAPE provides nearly 97% of its funds towards programs on behalf of employment. ASD is widespread throughout South Florida (and the rest of the country) with estimates of over 100,000 people in the tri-county area based on national statistics of 1 in 59 births having been diagnosed. The burden to the family and society is enormous with upwards of $60,000/year being spent in support of these individuals.
HAAPE is unique in that it is the only nonprofit organization solely dedicated and focused on finding meaningful and sustainable employment for people with ASD. We are proud to have established three programs specifically towards this goal.
HAAPE began three years ago when Dr. Larry Rothman and several fellow tennis players were told about the plight of one of the sons of a fellow player-the young man was 21 years old, had ASD hadn’t yet graduated from high school and his prospects for employment were bleak. Subsequently, after consulting with Dr. Michael Alessandri, Executive Director of the University of Miami/Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM/NSU CARD), we agreed to focus on the most significant issues facing people with ASD- finding sustainable employment.
Today, HAAPE has embarked on three important programs:
1. SPECTRUMTECH trains and employs people on the Autism Spectrum to be software testers through its proprietary curriculum developed and taught by experienced software testers. Specifically, the training is focused on User Acceptance Testing (UAT) as well as website testing. SPECTRUMTECH is a joint social enterprise in Fort Lauderdale between United Community Options of Broward affiliated with United Cerebral Palsy of Broward since 1953 (UCO-B) and Helping Adults with Autism Perform and Excel (HAAPE) established in 2016. This strategic partnership provides a viable career path for the 80-90% of unemployed/underemployed people on the Autism Spectrum SPECTRUMTECH is the only nonprofit Software Testing facility on the East Coast.
2. HAAPE and Broward College have collaborated to create a first of its kind program to train and certify people with ASD as Avionics Technicians. Avionics repair is in high demand and graduates of this 18-month program can look forward to a high wage career in the aviation industry. The first enrollees start in January and can look forward to successful employment.
3. HAAPE funded and created an Internet-based Job Board that matches the skills of people with ASD to the requirements that employers have for employment. The Job Board is thoroughly tested and will be fully operational in January 2020.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If we were to start over today, we would have had a concrete strategic plan and sufficient funding for our programs.
Pricing:
- SPECTRUMTECH’s training program is FREE to qualified candidates.
- The HAAPE Job Board is FREE for people with ASD seeking employment
Contact Info:
- Address: HAAPE
2531 Golf View Drive
Weston, FL 33327 - Website: www.haape.org
- Phone: 1.732.586.7367
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: haapefl
- Facebook: haape
- Twitter: @haape
Suggest a story: VoyageMIA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
