It is overwhelming for any parent of autistic children to plan for the future. Where to begin is often the question and sometimes difficult to figure out. I did a lot of research over the summer and found out a lot of things. I found that autistic children have support up to the age of 21 under the Individual with Disabilities Education Act. As a lot of parents with grown autistic adults, that's not always enough. Autistic children and adults don't have the same learning speed as regular individuals do. For instance, you would think that by the age of 30 months, a child would be fully potty trained or at least started on it. Autistic children however often require more time and repetition to learn the skill. Same goes for adults. They often need more time and repetition to learn a new skill or routine.
Let's go over the steps I find is the most helpful.
1. Social Security Disability: Now I know that people are going to scoff at this one. I would too. In fact, I would probably be the first one to get on the soapbox and preach against using government welfare and how parents need to be responsible for their own kids. However, logic fails on progressive liberals and they want to force people to take money that isn't theirs.
The reason I say you should sign your autistic kids up for Social Security Disability isn't so much for the financial benefit but more for the ease of transition and independence. If your autistic child does not have social security, chances are he can be denied programs that will help him to find jobs and suitable housing. A lot of programs for autistic adults often rely on government funding which usually will pay out more for those already on Social Security Disability and so those programs will require this.
2. Routine, Routine, Routine: Yes, you worked on this throughout all their childhood life and you really want to relax. This really is vital to the success of the autistic child's adult life. Changes will happen and that routine will have to constantly be relearned. Even if you plan to keep them at home, there will come a point where having them at home won't work anymore unless you plan to stay physically fit forever and all of a sudden become immortal. They need to have some kind of routine or structure in their life to help them to remember to do activities of daily living.
3. Hygiene: This probably goes along with the routine. Autistic adults need to remember to have good hygiene to promote good health and overall well being.
4. Education: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) will cover the college tuition for autistic adults up to the age of 21. By then, you will want your autistic child graduating and with a working degree or trade that will support them throughout their lives. So, it's a good idea to start planning when they're in middle or high school what sort of career they can do that will bring them satisfaction. One way of knowing for sure what they would like to do is to introduce the kids to skills that will lead them to work opportunities such as sewing, cooking, woodworking etc.
That's it for now. I will build upon this as time goes on. The main thing is to understand that even though your autistic child may still be in grade school, the best chances of success later in life is to start planning now and carry those plans to completion which could take years. The more you plan and carry out those plans, the better the chances the autistic adult will have at being self-sustaining.
