This story mentions suicide ideation and child abuse. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline can be reached at 800-273-8255 and the Arizona Child Abuse Hotline can be reached at 1-888-767-2445.
Brent Jackson was diagnosed with autism 30 years ago. In the years since, he s resigned from a job in Ohio after 17 years of working there
because they didn t understand autism.
He later learned about the Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center and First Place,
residential housing in central Phoenix for people with autism
, through his sister-in-law, a Phoenix resident. Though the 36-year-old was initially hesitant about a cross-country move, he applied, was accepted and began the move to the First Place Transition Academy in 2017.