About Us

The SAGE Crossing Foundation was begun in February, 2007, for the purpose of creating a green-model Massachusetts farmstead for autistic adults. SAGE was conceived as a template that can and should be reproduced on small farms and orchards throughout Massachusetts and the United States. The foundation was officially approved as a Massachusetts not-for-profit corporation on April 6, 2007, and received its Federal Tax-exemption as a 501(c)(3) organization on September 14, 2007.

Composed mostly of working mothers who have kept their young adult autistic children at home, the board of SAGE views the farmstead as a much-needed residential choice, supplementing traditional group homes and “shared living” models. Though there are many good group homes and placements in Massachusetts and elsewhere, with dedicated staff and beneficial activities, there are not nearly enough of them. Indeed, many group homes do not even accept autistic people. And not all autistic people can function well in these residential models.

Farms offer a quieter, safer environment for persons with autism; they allow many opportunities for exercise, and daily contact with animals. By making ours a green-model farmstead, with energy-saving structures; organic farming; nontoxic cleaners; and an environmentally friendly lifestyle that includes recycling, we will be setting a good example for the community. By building our farmstead on a small working orchard or farm, we will also be able to grow some of the farm’s food, thus saving money while promoting a healthy lifestyle. And we will be preserving a farm – ultimately, we hope, a number of small farms and orchards – from development. (In Massachusetts, we now have only 6,000 farms –down from 11,000 fifty years ago.)

SAGE is conceived not as an island that isolates the disabled from the community, but as a bridge to the community: a place where people can purchase fresh produce, crafts and foods made at the farm; share recreational facilities; and attend fairs and other events. By placing a home, workspaces, and recreational facilities in the same location, we also believe that SAGE will be a more cost-effective model than traditional group homes, which require transportation to and from work or a day program.

THE LOOMING CRISIS IN ADULT CARE FOR THE COGNITIVELY DISABLED

Many autistic people cannot get jobs in the community, or even do volunteer work – as many other disabled people do. They may make loud noises or behave in socially unacceptable ways. (Common behaviors include hand-flapping, head-slapping, and paper-shredding – even in public restrooms.) Some autistic adults need to be anesthetized for even routine medical and dental procedures. Even high-functioning persons with autism can require close supervision: they often frighten and annoy people with “inappropriate” questions and behaviors; they have limited awareness of danger. They cannot live or work in the community without a shadow.

Country life gives such people the room to be themselves and find their own way. Farm life, and the presence of animals, provides a therapeutic environment. Rural settings are safer for autistic people, who, even as adults, can bolt into traffic. Exercise – which calms the nervous system – becomes easy. Away from the terrors of the city, from the crowds and fluorescent lights that can make them more anxious, autistic people are better able to manage their strange behaviors and live productive lives.

And yet some government agencies regard farmsteads as a return to institutions. Now, when the vogue is “independent” living – which often translates into a group home or shared living (foster care for disabled adults), monitored more or less by staff – many disabled people and their strained, aging families, are left with unacceptable options. Some autistic adults end up on the streets, among the homeless population. Some remain at home, even as parents become ill.

Our philosophy, based on decades of experience raising our own autistic and cognitively disabled children, is that interdependency is best. Our most vulnerable citizens need people around for safety and comfort. But they also need a life that allows them to work with their strengths, and to be themselves.