Live-in Aide/room mate for 35 yr. old artist on autism spectrum

Seek male or female aide to work as live-in aide/room mate. Location is a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment setting (rent and utilities paid) in Fairfax, VA, near George Mason University campus. Seeking friendly, energetic person to serve as an Aide for our son, a male adult artist, age 35, very high functioning on Autism Spectrum. Must drive and have car. We are transitioning our son from living in our house to his apartment, so you will spend some days at an apartment that is in our house in Falls Church (you may return to the apartment at night on those days, and are not required to work on weekends unless you would prefer it). The maximum number of hours a day that you would be able to work for pay is 16 hours, but you are not obligated to work all 16. We can discuss a schedule when we meet, but we definitely need someone to work most of the day Monday through Friday, and some weekends.

Our son does tend to want to sleep late, so we need help motivating him to get him up and moving by at least 11 a.m. Tasks include administering oral medications, providing companionship/big brother/sister-type relationship; making meals and helping him learn to cook for himself; helping him perform household tasks; going out on a daily basis to exercise, take a drive, museums, art and piano lessons, doctor’s appointments, go to malls, volunteer, etc. He needs assistance with… and you must have kindness and patience with… social skills and handling non-routine situations. He needs occasional assistance and guidance with personal issues. Our son has some anxiety about germs and at times worries about people liking him, and he needs a caring and patient person in those instances. He responds well to warm, kind people, and has a very pure heart that everyone who works with him comes to know. He does sometimes need help and calming in overcoming situations in which he becomes stressed.

Ability to read and speak/write English clearly is required. We need someone who is reliable, patient, can drive, is a non-smoker, and can work cooperatively with therapists and us, his parents, understanding that we are his overseers and guardians and will be providing the guidelines with which you are working. You will need to follow the instructions of my husband and myself, including being prompt and accounting for your hours worked. You will need to demonstrate clear communication and boundaries in terms of your role, our son’s role, and the role of my husband and myself as your employerswe are all part of the Team and, as such, will need to consult regularly. You will need to respect our guidelines and input just as we will respect your opinions. You will be a kind of behavioral coach to help our son achieve his goals, but you will not be his therapist or disciplinarian.

Interest in playing video games such as Zelda, Pokemon and Mario is a BIG plus! Also watching movies and having fun with cooking (our son loves the cooking shows and does enjoy good food, so being a good cook is also a big plus). Experience with Autism Spectrum individuals is desired. Hours per week worked to be determined. Pay is $17.97/hour through the Consumer Direct Care Network. Criminal background checks are required. (No VISAs please, our last aide could not stay long because her VISA expired, and our son's housing voucher requires live-in aides to stay in place for at least a year or two; we would prefer longer, even indefinitely. Please SEND RESUME if you are interested. Letters with no resume are at a disadvantage when applying for this position.)