Hidden Wings is inviting the community it serves to an anniversary celebration-a “thank you” for being good neighbors and staunch supporters. According to CDC data, 1 in 68 children are born with autism, and nearly 80 percent of those diagnosed with autism haven’t yet reached adulthood. How critical the need is for more programs in communities everywhere, as our young children with autism are quickly becoming adults with autism.” “He’s made friends and enthusiastically looks forward to being a part of every activity offered. “Hidden Wings has been a life saver for our son, and for us, in so many ways,” said one mother, Molly Ballantine. One of those new approaches has been opening Hidden Wings’ doors to young adults with other developmental disabilities, many of whom benefit from the same social and life skills training.įor parents, who were instrumental in getting Hidden Wings off the ground, the nonprofit is a lifeline. “We are constantly trying new things, realizing there isn’t a one-size-fits-all to autism.” “We provide students with the rhythm, the routine and a sense of purpose,” Billington said. Some students have even launched a new gardening business or sold crafts at the farmer’s market. Digital arts and life skills courses help prepare students for jobs. Therapeutic drumming, horseback riding, hiking and kayaking play roles in creating friendships.
Students come from throughout Santa Barbara County and beyond to take part in classes that promote bonding, physical fitness and identifying meaningful careers. Hidden Wings operates out of its headquarters at 517 Atterdag Road in Solvang, but those aren’t the bounds of its classroom. We work every day against society’s dour predictions and inevitabilities: the menial jobs, the mental flat-lining, the total dependence, the lack of talents.” “Fast forward 10 years and we’ve worked with hundreds of students, focusing on their gifts, not their deficits. “We started out with one teacher, one student, and one activity - a hike on a Thursday afternoon,” Billington said, noting that like many famous ventures, Hidden Wings started in a garage. The Solvang nonprofit, which has served more than 1,000 students since 2008, is about to celebrate 10 years of “unfurling the gifts” of those with autism with an open house from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Ten years of operating Hidden Wings has proven the Billingtons right. Along for the ride were their four sons - two of which were on the spectrum.īut Billington did know one thing: that someday soon, all the children diagnosed with autism would grow up, and they’d need help finding their place in the world. He had just left his post as a minister of a large Episcopal church in Northern California, and his wife had just uprooted her medical practice. More specifically, to help this population find a job and a friend.Īt that point, there wasn’t much Jim Billington was sure of. That seemed to be the most common response to the couple’s news: They had just launched a nonprofit organization in the Santa Ynez Valley to serve young adults on the autism spectrum. When Jim and Julia Billington started Hidden Wings 10 years ago, there was no such thing as an adult with autism.
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