Howe says. “It’s not that they can’t. We had a guy who was like, ‘I actually got offered my dream job, and I’m going to go and work in a vape shop. It’s what I’ve always wanted to do. But thank you guys for giving me the confidence to apply.’” Viral Good This visit to Spectrum Designs is the first time since high school – at least I’m aware of – that I have had the extended company of autistic people. I had mostly forgotten how the condition shows up in different individuals. It is, obviously, a spectrum, with the effects more or less apparent in some people than others. Certain individuals have difficulty learning or need to learn in a very specific way. Others don’t recognize typical social norms – eye contact, personal space, conversation topics – and may develop an intense focus on subjects special to their interest or that bring them happiness, structure or comfort. The people I meet seem to live and work with joy and gratitude. And typically, those feelings are experienced even more by their families, especially parents who just want to know that their autistic adult son or daughter will be OK once they are gone. “For every parent, your job is to keep your kids safe, protected, hopefully happy and purpose-driven so that you can pass on and hopefully they’ll have a better life than you had,” Bardsley says. “When you have a child with a disability, that becomes just an outright fear. Now those things aren’t a given anymore.” Estimates vary somewhat, but perhaps 85% of adults on the spectrum are unemployed. Most of these individuals spend time with caretakers or participate in day programs like those provided by The Nicholas Center. Spectrum Designs aims to change that. Both organizations emerged from this kind of tragedy. In 2010, Long Islander Paul Kitsos, the father of a son with autism – Nicholas – died unexpectedly. To honor the memory of the successful apparel company owner and pro poker player, Kitsos’ family formed The Nicholas Center and Spectrum Designs Foundation, enlisting their son’s camp counselor, Bardsley, as a co-founder in the project. From two employees, to 10, to 80, Bardsley has built an organization that thrives on its own ambition. He briefly studied business as an undergraduate but credits trial-and-error and YouTube equally for the lessons he has learned to keep Spectrum growing. Over the years, the effort has expanded to a baking company, which has come and gone, and a laundry business that is still going. But "There were some people that thought it was a terrible idea, that we weren't ready yet for these roles. But because Spectrum kind of took a leap of faith... we were able to flourish ourselves and then help the company grow." –DYLAN VALIC, MARKETING DIRECTOR Kelli Fisher Dylan Valic 58 • JUNE 2025 • PPAI Must Read | Distributors
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