The Spectrum The Child's Disorder

Post Reply New Topic

I live in Colorado Springs, it's one of those towns, focus on the family types. If there has one thing I have noticed in the public eye, maybe more so around here, but I may be wrong that it always seems like when autism is spoken about, it's always about kids. Programs for kids. But kids turn into adults. Adults who need jobs, who need a society to not think autism is only things they see on the TV. Sometimes it feels like being on the spectrum is Only a child's disorder in the public eye. It's something someone gets over once they turn into adult. Magically.

I'm in my twenties, and I am stuck in that weird middle, where I am not old enough for some of the adult programs, but of course naturally I am too old for the children programs for assistance.

What are some of your experiences? Does this seem true? Or do I just live in a weird bubble?

What do you think, we as a nation/society, should for young adults on the spectrum?

Yes I've noticed that too. There's a common assumption that if you've survived childhood at all, you don't need any help. They won't give you a diagnosis at all if you admit that your coping strategies are working - rather like saying your leg isn't broken if you've got somebody to carry your groceries for you. Presumably politics (welfare bill reduction) has contaminated what should be a purely medical matter.

Though I can see why there'd be an emphasis on detecting and treating autism in kids. Early detection is a great thing. Just that adults have needs too.

Yeah, my son is on the spectrum too and it's like night and day the difference between services available for him and services available for me. It took me a good month just to track down a psychologist who would even diagnose adults, and I had to drive ~100 miles for the one I did find. I tried looking for support groups for adults in my area and they're all for parents of kids on the spectrum. Don't get me wrong. It's not like anyone's bending over backwards to help us with his therapies either. Every bill is a fight with insurance, that we usually lose. Every therapist has huge waiting lists. But at least we've got options to choose from for him. For adults, about the only support I've found are books and forums like this one.

As for what I think people should offer: I'd like some qualified relationship counseling/support groups, not just for people on the spectrum but for their partners too.

Job assistance is another big one that I think a lot of people would like.

When it comes to adults on the spectrum, I think that getting others around us to understand us better is just as important as teaching us coping skills.

Thank you.

I admit I am in my mid twenties, but I honestly don't know how to file my own taxes. If I weren't unemployed, I fear not filing my taxes last year. lol...that sounds tragic.

I just wish there were things that could help me build relationships with people. Find connections with people, you know function just a little bit because it gets lonely in this world

According to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network as of a few years ago only 2.4% of federal autism research dollars went towered adult Autism Research and less than 1.5% went towered the needs of adults.

http://www.arcwc-md.org/news/asan-autis ... y-network/

While this is changing it is going to take years to catch up. Also most of the effort is going towered young adults because the people who are now young adults were the first generation to be diagnosed under the broader diagnostic criteria and because they can potentially be more profitable for the economy.

Another words in many locales Wrong Planet and the like is one of the only places to get adult support.

It's definitely a real problem, one that I'm going to school to hopefully start rectifying. Virtually all the therapies, all the supports, even all the research studies, focus almost exclusively on children. I've read dozens of academic journal articles about experiments run on autistic children, but not a single one involving autistic adults. I'm trying to get into grad school to study psychology right now. It's one of my goals to broaden awareness of the needs of adults on the spectrum, and to provide services such as diagnosis and therapy specifically for them.

I noticed that too, almost everything (books, articles, TV/Internet programs) seems to deal with kids. I never liked it, because it made it look like that only the kids mattered.

I'm glad I am not crazy and that I wasn't the only one who noticed this then.

So, what can we do to fix this?

What should we do?

Is there anything we can do?

Good question, but I fear we have little control over the situation.

There are groups out there who appear to be trying to change things
http://www.autismontario.com/Client/ASO ... ntario.pdf
but whether or not they'll ever get listened to is another matter. Thing is, services cost money, and governments these days prefer to cut public spending.

Looking at this:
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Autistic-s ... tism1.aspx
the UK NHS admits that services for adults are patchy. My doctor has offered me nothing apart from sedatives and antidepressants, which I don't want.

Things probably aren't entirely hopeless, I guess if you've got heaps of time you could become a political activist, or just push as hard as you can to get the services you want yourself. But you might find it pretty tedious going unless you can make bureacracy your special interest. Me, I just winged it and relied on my own resources to survive, and I haven't done too badly. I was diagnosed pretty late in life, I looked around for help but nothing much stood out as looking likely to be worth pursuing. I applied for a tiny disability benefit but they clearly didn't want to know, and I couldn't be bothered to appeal. I can cope without it. I'm old enough not to need a job any more, and I've secured what will probably turn out to be a decent pension which will hopefully kick in before my savings run out. So I don't need occupational help or education help.