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LifeWorks for Autism is a one-of-a-kind organization in the state of Kentucky with a priority focus on creating job-ready and successfully employed adults in the Commonwealth. The national rate of employment for autistic adults is cited as low as 15%, and LifeWorks exists to shift that statistic. Historically, over 95% of LifeWorks participants have achieved employment with a similarly high percentage of alumni going on to work and live independently. LifeWorks believes everyone deserves the opportunity for a full and abundant life, and LifeWorks is purpose-built to prepare individuals and provide the individualized support needed to make that a reality.
LifeWorks has two program offerings, the Transition Academy and Bridge Academy, but everything LifeWorks does is person-centered, growth-focused, positive, and mature. The LifeWorks program outcomes of Employability, Health, Wellness, & Nutrition, Life Skills, Relationships, Financial Management, Adaptability, Personal Safety, and Social & Leisure are embedded into all aspects of LifeWorks programming.
The LifeWorks Transition Academy is a two-year transition to independent living program designed to launch autistic and neurodiverse adults ages 18-35 into independence and employment. Participants in the Transition Academy can choose to live in on-site housing and participate in up to 40 hours per work of structured meaningful activity such as work, fitness, personal goals, daily living skills practice, volunteering, real world skill building, social and recreational enrichment, and relationship-building.
The LifeWorks Bridge Academy is a college support program for autistic and neurodiverse students in the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. Participants in the Bridge Academy have access to private study hall, take part in the LifeWorks independent living skills curriculum, participate in recreational activities with their peer group, and meet regularly with a dedicated Liaison who supports them in their person-centered plan and needs.
Call us and learn more at 270-745-4380!
Register for the April Rise & Shine, proudly sponsored by LifeWorks for Autism here.
Dr. Ryan Quarles is the fourth president of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System and the first native Kentuckian to lead the system of 16 community and technical colleges and 70 campuses. He was named president by the KCTCS Board of Regents Sept. 29, 2023, following a national search. Quarles began his position Jan. 1, 2024.
Quarles comes to KCTCS with a long history in statewide public service. He was first elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2010 where he served until his election as Kentucky’s state commissioner of agriculture in 2016. In that role, he led the state’s second largest executive branch agency through 2023, serving two terms. On a national front, he was president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture in 2020-2021.
His earlier work experience includes serving as associate general counsel at Georgetown College and working in private practice.
While a college student at the University of Kentucky, Quarles was appointed by former Governor Ernie Fletcher as the student representative to the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, the state’s higher education coordinating agency. The three-year stint ignited his interest to seek advanced degrees in higher education.
Quarles holds seven college degrees: a doctorate in higher education administration from Vanderbilt University; a master’s degree in higher education from Harvard University; and a juris doctorate from the University of Kentucky College of Law. He earned his four other degrees, including two master’s degrees, from the University of Kentucky.
Quarles is a graduate of Scott County High School in Georgetown, Ky., and attended Lexington Community College, the forerunner of Bluegrass Community and Technical College. He is also a ninth-generation Kentucky farmer at Quarles Farms in Scott County.