Whenautistic peopleare under the age of 22, they receive a range of free programs and services through government entitlements and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Once they turn 22, however, those entitlements disappear. This, according to some sources, is a “services cliff” over which families fall.
The reality, however, is that most autistic adults and their families can and do find support.
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How Adult Services Differ from Children’s Services
The biggest difference between adult and children’s autism services is that most services provided to children under IDEA are entitlement-based, while the services provided to adults are eligibility-based.
In other words, while school districts must provide children with free and appropriate education, state and federal governments may or may not determine that an autistic child is eligible for specific services or funding. What’s more, while school districts must find a way to serve autistic children even if funding diminishes, government agencies may reduce services if budgets shrink.
A second major difference relates to the appropriateness of programs and services for an autistic person. In school, a child may have had access to classes, therapies, and programs designed with the child’s specific needs in mind. As an adult, they are more likely to be lumped in with other people with developmental disorders. This can be challenging, as autistic adults often have very different abilities, challenges, and needs from adults with, for example,Down syndrome.
Common Options for Adult Services
There are a range of services available for autistic adults; while the services offered will depend on a number of factors, there is a “menu” of possibilities. There is no guarantee, of course, that the quality of any given service or resource will be high. Some of the most common services available include:
Residential
For some autistic adults, residential funding may pay for the costs of an institutional or group home, or for programs such as adult foster care. When such funding is not made available through AIDD, funding may become available through Social Security programs for individuals with disabilities or people who are low-income.
Group and institutional living varies wildly in terms of quality and appropriateness for autistic adults; it is very important to not only check out the setting initially but also to maintain careful oversight.
Day Programs
Depending on the support needs of an autistic person, state agencies may pay the costs of full or part-time day programs. Such programs are usually local, may offer transportation, and often include social, volunteer, and therapeutic activities.
Day programs are tricky because they may be intended for people with very severe disabilities, or they may have few supports in place that are specific to autistic people and their support needs —so it is important to check out the programs offered to be sure they are appropriate.
Work Programs and Career Support
If the autistic adult cannot work in a competitive job, there is a good chance that funding will support an organization that specifically employs people with disabilities.
If the autistic adult can compete for and handle a competitive job, they may need help preparing for and getting a job. Once in a work setting, DVR funding may pay for job coaching to help the autistic adult learn the ropes and manage any challenges that come up. In the long run, DVR expects its clients to handle work on their own eventually.
Recreational and Community Programs
Therapies
Adult Services Vary from Person to Person
Children’s autism services are customized, meaning that they provide a “free and appropriate education” based on the individual’s particular strengths and challenges. Adult services are also customized—but in addition, the type and level of support available from AIDD and DVR vary radically, depending on the state in which someone lives and, in some cases, physical location within the state.
How Location Impacts Level and Type of Support
States also have their own perspectives on autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In some states, for example, the autism diagnosis is enough to make a person eligible for at least some supports. In other states, a higher IQ is enough to make an autistic person ineligible for home and community-based services.
IQ tests are not an accurate measure of intelligence and are unable to predict how well a person will function in society.
Some states are very good at administering specific kinds of programs and services, but do a poor job with others. For example, some offer stellar “dayhab” programs for autistic adults with developmental or intellectual disabilities but may do a poor job at providing job support to autistic people with low support needs.
Even within a given state, options and supports may vary. If you live in a major city, chances are good that an autistic adult will have some options for day programs, residential settings, therapies, and jobs. In the countryside, such options may be few and far between.
How Needs and Diagnosis Impact Level and Type of Support
AIDD and DVR services are provided based on a variety of factors that are not relevant for children under the age of 22. A few of these factors include:
Resources
You can start the process of setting a child up for adult services when they are just 14 years old. Here are some steps to follow:
1 SourceVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.Autism spectrum disorders (ASD): State of the states of services and supports for people with ASD.Additional ReadingAnderson C, Lupfer A, Shattuck PT.Barriers to Receipt of Services for Young Adults With Autism.Pediatrics. 2018;141(Suppl 4):S300-S305. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-4300GShattuck PT, Roux AM, Hudson LE, Taylor JL, Maenner MJ, Trani JF.Services for adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Can J Psychiatry. 2012 May;57(5):284-91. doi: 10.1177/070674371205700503
1 Source
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.Autism spectrum disorders (ASD): State of the states of services and supports for people with ASD.Additional ReadingAnderson C, Lupfer A, Shattuck PT.Barriers to Receipt of Services for Young Adults With Autism.Pediatrics. 2018;141(Suppl 4):S300-S305. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-4300GShattuck PT, Roux AM, Hudson LE, Taylor JL, Maenner MJ, Trani JF.Services for adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Can J Psychiatry. 2012 May;57(5):284-91. doi: 10.1177/070674371205700503
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.Autism spectrum disorders (ASD): State of the states of services and supports for people with ASD.
Anderson C, Lupfer A, Shattuck PT.Barriers to Receipt of Services for Young Adults With Autism.Pediatrics. 2018;141(Suppl 4):S300-S305. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-4300GShattuck PT, Roux AM, Hudson LE, Taylor JL, Maenner MJ, Trani JF.Services for adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Can J Psychiatry. 2012 May;57(5):284-91. doi: 10.1177/070674371205700503
Anderson C, Lupfer A, Shattuck PT.Barriers to Receipt of Services for Young Adults With Autism.Pediatrics. 2018;141(Suppl 4):S300-S305. doi:10.1542/peds.2016-4300G
Shattuck PT, Roux AM, Hudson LE, Taylor JL, Maenner MJ, Trani JF.Services for adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Can J Psychiatry. 2012 May;57(5):284-91. doi: 10.1177/070674371205700503
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