About Us
Our Story
Lettuce Work was started with a vision to create a business that would give those with Autism a sense of purpose, help them gain work experience and job skills, and develop social and communication skills.
This vision came from a personal experience of Doug and Julie Sharp. Their son Daniel was diagnosed with Autism when he was two years old, diagnosed with a seizure disorder when he was three and a half years old, and a little later he was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. They knew his opportunities would be limited as he continued to grow and wanted Daniel and others with similar disabilities to have the opportunity to develop the skills they would need as they entered adulthood.
A common misconception is the State takes care of everyone with disabilities. However, even for those who do qualify for services, the funding or staffing isn’t always there, resulting in long waiting lists and many missed opportunities and services.
Lettuce Work was created as a non-profit social enterprise, with the intention to ensure Lettuce Work and the opportunities it offers to individuals with developmental disabilities are around long after Doug and Julie are gone.
Your donations help fund our services and are greatly appreciated. Please consider making a secure donation using PayPal.
A Message from Our Founders
Watch and learn more about why we exist...
Why What We Do is Important
- 35% of young adults (ages 19-23) with autism have never had a job or received postgraduate education after leaving high school. (Shattuck et al., 2012)
- Unemployment rates for adults with autism are consistently 70%-80%
- Prevalence of autism in U.S. children increased has almost tripled from the years 2000 (1 in 150) to 2020 (1 in 54). (CDC, 2020)
- The U.S. (societal) cost of autism over their lifespan is about $2.4 million. (Buescher et al., 2014)
