Hardly any info about adults with AS?

Post Reply New Topic

I've noticed this too. I was looking for some stuff relating to speech and it just kept saying "your child" throughout.

I live in a pretty big city and there are no services for diagnosing adults. There's a hospital about half hour away which tests and diagnoses children.

I find it both bewildering and disturbing that the autistic community is so ignored after the individual comes of age. There's a lot of talk in the literature about how important it is to diagnose kids early so they can get the right training in social skills and minimise their difficulties in adulthood, and the assumption seems to be that, at least for people with AS, if they have had this support and training they will be a functional adult. However, for some reason there is no mention at all of ways to help those who missed this early diagnosis - that is, almost the entire current generation of adult autistic people who grew up before autism was well understood. Nor is there mention of what happens to an adult who did not reach the level of full independence even if they had a support system.

I've looked in my area for autism support charities or organisations and there are several - all for children and parents. The oldest any of them goes up to is 21. Considering autism is a disability known for causing people to miss develomental milestones (for example, I graduated university at 28, not 21, meaning my life circumstances did not reach that expected of a 21-year-old until I was nearly 30) I can't get my head around this at all.

Do they think we fall through the cracks in the floor? Though I do agree with those who pointed out that when the current "autism boom" generation reaches adulthood, there will probably be a corresponding growth of awareness.

I would like to find services or a support group for adults in Sydney, the largest city in Australia, but really haven't found anything yet. Is there a book or some kind of resource that can teach an Aspie when people are joking and when they are serious? I take everything literally and it ends up a big mass of confusion for all parties involved. There are books that describe Aspergers but can't find anything like a training manual that can actually help someone with Aspergers figure out how to deal with NTs. Any suggestions welcome!

Why are you googling 'Asperger's and aggression?'

There are tonnes of resources out there for adults. There are books, blogs, websites. So what if there' more for kids? The parents of autistic children need resources too. They need to know what kind of treatment to give their child. Children are still developing their social skills, as we are but they need so much help. They're not looking this stuff up themselves like we are. So just imagine how much help they need.

We could start one. I do know some things about detecting sarcasm though I don't always remember it. There are some sticky threads here that might help out.

Sorry for my brashness before. I'm kind of a solve-your-own-problems type and don't really go to doctors or therapists for help. Just for medication and to give me an ego boost. I do that because no one has has ever been much help to me and it's in my nature. Yeah, adults don't get much services if any but there could be books out there, blogs and some threads on this forum can help. I learned most about social skills from this forum. And Ritalin makes me think more about what impact my words have on people, holding me back from saying anything that could be rude and makes me think more about what people mean.

I don't really like it when people tell me what to do, even if it's just a suggestion. My sister was drunk last night and I showed her some art which she usually praises but she jumped straight to what I needed to do to make it better. I kept telling myself she's just drunk. Then the same night a guy told me I shouldn't wear an air force patch if I don't know where the airbase is located. I forgot and thought it didn't matter because I read an article that it closed down. And now I feel like he thinks I don't know much about the RAAF, as it's my special interest it makes me angry that something thinks that. There's a lot about that guy I just had to think he doesn't really know that I'm autistic or have ADHD, and probably doesn't think the ADHD is real but would probably ask me to give him some pills, so I'll just ignore him.

I have a book called 'Solutions for Adults with Aspergers Syndrome' which is good in some ways but it would be good to have something a bit more concrete, like a problem and then solution step-by-step guide.

Exactly! That´s why I have recently been thinking about making a self help-site just for us, adult Aspergers. I think that we should set up many untrue things that are being told abouts us, and also giving people a view into our lives and thinking.

I did a project on adults on the Autism Spectrum and I outlined the many challenges they encounter through life. As a part of my project, I talked with many teachers and professors on why kids with autism get the most attention than adults. Answers I've received are the special education benefits placed in schools, the expectation from society that adults should look after themselves including autistic adults and that autistic children are more comfortable to approach than an autistic adult who has a meltdown in a public setting. At my college, they have created a post-bachelor's certificate program to help individuals who are working with adults with ASD due to an increase number of adults with ASD. So there is hope that more people are becoming aware of this fact and are planning to provide resources for adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

"Tons of resources for adults". Where?? Not here in the United States. There are a few, better than 25 years ago (when there were none what-so-ever).
Was looking for literature on adults with Asperger's/HFA & other than 3 well known Autobiographies, there is zip. No books on resources, magazines, etc. There are many research papers/books/etc. on autistic kids but every source I read stopped at bloody 21 years old. But then the whole state of help for neurological & mental illnesses in this country is a disgrace anyway..

Sincerely,
Matthew