Riding the Rails: Building confidence and independence

Riding the Rails: Building confidence and independence

August 21st, 2026

By Gavin Glass, Supported Living Coordinator

This summer, three Bearhollow residents, joined by ASNC staff, traveled together on a daytime round-trip journey via Amtrak train from Greensboro to Raleigh for a destination restaurant lunch. Bearhollow is one of the Autism Society of North Carolina’s supported living homes. Three autistic adult men live there together in their own house on Bearhollow Road. There they develop and strengthen their independent living skills with the support of trained ASNC staff.

This recent train ride was ideal for our residential dudes. It was an opportunity for them to have some new experiences and to overcome typical travel obstacles in adaptive ways, including dealing with no air conditioning in the outbound rail car and dodging some wet weather in downtown Raleigh.

Practicing life skills along the way

It was also an independent skill-building experience. Having to be patient, taking turns, adjusting to different schedules, and tolerating “other people’s rules” can be challenging for the men of Bearhollow, and this trip gave them the chance to practice those skills. It also appeared that the train ride provided them with a unique form of sensory regulation, helping them become more focused, confident, and self-assured, while staff prompted and supported them in successfully navigating challenges that might ordinarily have been a struggle.

Other specific life skills were also reinforced, including walking through parking lots and crosswalks safely, learning train-boarding and disembarking procedures, staying with the group, maintaining personal cleanliness, and demonstrating appropriate manners.

Small trip, big impact

Thanks to good planning and an eager ASNC staff, it was easy for the guys to experience an excursion, watch the green landscape go by, and enjoy some quality cuisine with their beloved housemates and staff.

I highly recommend an Amtrak daytrip to a destination restaurant for autistic adults looking for a little adventure and a lot of fun.

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