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Doctoral Study Shows Parents are Concerned for Their Adult Child’s Future
The process of transitioning to adulthood is always difficult for parents; more so when their children have special needs. For parents of young adults with ASD the challenges are manifold, including but not limited to financial problems, social difficulties and long term care and planning. Long...
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A Place of Their Own: Residential Services for Soon-to-Be Adults with Autism
An unprecedented number of families will soon watch their children with autism leave school and flood the adult disability system. Up to a half million children with autism will reach adulthood in the next decade, according to estimates.1, 2 These children, the first wave of the so-called...
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Residential Farms Provide Housing and Employment for Adults
The U.S. autism community is facing a “perfect storm.” More adults need services amid economic crisis and budget cuts. Today, about 300,000 adults are living with autism (Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism, n.d.). The total annual cost per adult with autism is roughly $71,000 in 2009...
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Searching for an Appropriate and Safe Residential Community
As the adult population with ASD grows and their parents age, the primary concerns of the parents or guardians are: Where will my son or daughter live when I am not here? Where can my adult/child live even in a semi-independent community setting? Who will be responsible for managing the over-sight...
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Summer Offers Opportunity for Skill Development for Children and Young Adults with ASD
Summer can be a perfect time for children and young adults to leave their everyday environments and discover new opportunities for skill development. Yet parents of children and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) often struggle with the idea of immersing their child in a new...
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The Creation of a Model Independent Living Program: The POINT Program of White Plains, NY
One of the most perilous times in the lives of young adults on the spectrum is the transition from the stability and structure of school to lives away from their parents’ homes - lives with as much independence as possible. I know this road well because I am the mother of a young man with an...
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Affordable Housing Advocacy: An Approach to Success
The question that keeps ASD parents awake at night: “Where will he/she live when I am no longer able to provide a home?” Questions and emotions swirl around whenever housing is the topic of any discussion: “It’s scary.” “It’s complicated.” “There are so many factors to...
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The Transition into Adulthood: Guiding Families Toward Successful Outcomes
One of the favorite things in my role as Director of Admissions and Family Services at Melmark is talking with parents about their children and helping families maneuver the complicated web of supports available to them. One of the most challenging parts, however, is helping families understand how...
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The Support of Adolescents and Adults with Autism in the Community – How to Establish Community and Life Skills That Will Endure
The United States is on the verge of a crisis as more than 800,000 children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) enter adulthood. Consequently, there are vastly larger numbers of adolescents and adults who need interventions and services than ever before. Unfortunately, the need...
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ASN Spring 2012 Issue
"Transitioning into Adulthood: Navigating the Complex Changes Ahead" Articles in This Issue Blueprint for an Asperger Syndrome College Support Program Career Planning for People on the Autism Spectrum Changing the Mindset of Children and Adolescents with ASDs ...
