Published By: Houston Chronicle
Written By: Suzanne Garofalo

When Olivia Shanks landed in the hospital, it changed her life.

She didn’t arrive as a patient, though — she came to work. The 21-year-old, who has high-functioning autism, has struggled to get places on time. Some basic workplace tasks stressed her out. Dependence on others dinged her self-confidence.

Her work in Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital’s food-services department came via one of Houston’s nonprofit groups providing job training and support for a population that’s exploding but finds few opportunities to live as fully as possible. Click here to read the rest of the story.