Recently, we discussed how to spot signs of autism in a young child, and a quick Google search will point you to many similar resources. But there’s a lot less information about how to help your child with autism through their teen years. And there’s even less about what their life might look like beyond that.
If you have a teen with autism right now, that can feel incredibly daunting, especially if they’re on the cusp of 18 alongside the 48,500 teens with autism that break this age barrier annually. Here they are, about to embark on their adult life, and you don’t have a clue how to help them. All you know is that a lot of the standard structures in place don’t feel like they’ll help. And that can be a lonely place for both you and your teen to be.
However, it’s important to remember that, just as your child has gotten to this point, they can take those first steps into adulthood with your help. And here’s how you can ease them through the transition.
# 1 – Teach Them to Self-Advocate
Up until now, you’ve probably done the vast majority of advocating for your child to ensure everything from the diagnosis they deserve to the individualized education plan (IED) that made their school life easier. As we’ll get to a little later, advocating doesn’t stop once they reach adulthood, but your abilities to protect them will decrease if they, say, enter the workplace or live independently. Hence, now is the ideal time to teach them how to advocate for themselves. This could be as simple as ensuring they know how to ask for the accommodations they need to succeed, to ensuring they’ve got the language to explain what those needs are.
# 2 – Reevaluate Available Support
Support can take an unfortunate nose-dive as your teen reaches their adult years. In fact, the IED you fought so hard to secure will become null and void around now. As such, this is a vital time to reevaluate the support on offer, which, at this stage, is more likely to revolve around resources like a 504 plan, work experience opportunities, or even the right to accommodation access in a group home or similar safe setting.
# 3 – Continue to do what you can
Unfortunately, young adults with autism are still at a high risk of not only discrimination but also workplace abuse, and even abuse within their accommodation. None of which your child might recognize upfront. With that in mind, regular visits, ongoing conversations, and even simply asking your child directly about the treatment they’re receiving, can all guide you towards either peace of mind, or definitive protective actions, such as seeking a group home abuse attorney who will uncover and pursue any potential problems before they escalate.
Autism past the teen years can feel like a whole new world to navigate, but you can still do right by your child using these top transitional pointers.
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