Aaron Stuart was was told leave a third adult day training program in January, 2015, for once again exhibiting "behaviors" considered too difficult to manage. Aaron was 24 years old, and built like a football player. He has the personality of a teddy bear, but suffered from digestive issues his parents didn't know about at the time: hiatal hernia and ulcer. He couldn't speak of his pain; only act out by grabbing someone's arm in desperation. That was all it took to have him ejected from three well-known programs in Florida. Michael and Harriet Stuart had had enough of this treatment of autistic individuals, and, after saying a prayer, started a program in their home that is unlike anything offered in Florida to date, or most of the nation. Operation Meaningful Life was born that February, 2015, with a unique goal: train the developmentally-disabled adult population in skills they were not receiving in schools and day programs, which would enable them to lead productive lifespans. Using unique and individualized methods and approaches individuals would be taught career, vocational and life skills; and the special emphasis would be on those rejected and ignored by society: the so-called "lower-functioning." The program has been amazingly successful. Aaron is now employed part-time by two national restaurant chains; and works part-time for a large regional supermarket bakery chain that makes up-scale products. His language propelled quickly and became functional. He is now considered "higher-functioning," and happier because he is being productive, and feels accomplishment every day. OML operates a "Home Base" in Jacksonville, Florida, where it professionally duplicates numerous career and vocational environments and skill sets to successfully transition the disabled individual to the actual work setting. The program is so efficiently run that, unlike other programs, financial donations have not been accepted nor sought. Being "higher-functioning" is merely, to OML, a matter of appropriate training and instruction; something most adult training programs do not recognize, nor understand how to accomplish. Operation Meaningful Life now has a Facebook page that is dedicated to inspiring families and professionals around the country to accomplish the same results.

Michael Stuart
Jacksonville, FL