By Denise D. Resnik, Founder & President/CEO, First Place AZ/First Place Global; Co-Founder, Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center; and Matt’s Mom
In preparation for Matt’s 35th year and the 10-year anniversary of the First Place–Phoenix groundbreaking, I’ve been reflecting on where we’ve been, where we are and where we need to go.
When Matt was diagnosed with autism in 1993, there was no roadmap for our family—no internet to guide late-night searching, no established playbook for what a meaningful adult life could look like—and scarce examples of what was possible beyond childhood. Like so many families, we were left to navigate uncertainty while trying to build a future we could not yet envision.
Out of that uncertainty came a sense of urgency and a simple but powerful realization: If the community and infrastructure we needed did not exist, we would have to help build them. That spirit helped shape Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC), First Place AZ and the broader work that continues today.
This week, we celebrated Matt’s birthday surrounded by family and friends who have been there from the start, along with his First Place–Phoenix neighbors who taught him how to play Mario Kart and always cheer him on. They are the same neighbors who express their appreciation for Matt’s kindness, participate in his favorite Uno and Scrabble games, and remind him to bring two water bottles to weekly workouts. They are those in his life who don’t get paid to care about him—or each other.
None of this began with buildings alone but with families, questions, heartbreak—and a fervent refusal to accept that isolation, stagnation or limited expectations should define the future for those we love.
We now know more about what adults with autism and/or intellectual/developmental disabilities need to live healthy, connected, purpose-filled lives. We also know that housing should not be separated from other key social determinants like health, employment, education, connection, public policy and the broader community.
Yet even with all we have learned, too many families still face the same looming questions: Where will my son or daughter live? Who will support them when I am no longer able? What options will exist for people with different strengths, needs, resources and aspirations?
Such urgent questions demand more than compassionate answers. They require intentional community development, measurable outcomes, benchmarking, supportive public policy, shared investment—and the courage to keep building and learning.
First Place Global’s 15th symposium, Dimensions℠ 2026, will reflect honestly on history—not dwelling on what was missing but honoring what families, self-advocates, practitioners, researchers, policymakers and community leaders have made possible. Together with tireless leaders in our field, we will continue charting a course that moves us beyond scarcity and one-size-fits-all thinking toward a new generation of housing and community options that are more diverse, more sustainable, more affordable and more responsive across the lifespan.
Building community doesn’t happen quickly. It takes connections, practice, natural consequences, lessons learned—and lots of celebrations. This work is deeply personal to me and so many others because of the history we carry and the community we create together. While data and outcomes are important to advancing our mission, stats don’t tell me everything Matt needs, what makes him happy—or what his smile and heart are truly saying.
Watch highlights from Matt’s 35th birthday party here.
Join the conversation at Dimensions 2026, First Place Global’s 15th symposium, October 14–16, in Phoenix, Arizona. Register here.