Independent living for adults with ASDs.

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For those of you adults with an ASD, what is your independent living status?
Not living with my parents - Living 100% independently 31%  31%  [ 21 ]
Not living with my parents - Dependent on parents/roommates/people for financial support. 10%  10%  [ 7 ]
Not living with my parents - Dependent on parents/roommates/people for daily living support. 7%  7%  [ 5 ]
Not living with my parents - Dependent on parents/roommates/people for financial & daily living support. 9%  9%  [ 6 ]
Living with my parents - Taking care of my parents 1%  1%  [ 1 ]
Living with my parents - Dependent on parents/people for financial support. 21%  21%  [ 14 ]
Living with my parents - Dependent on parents/people for daily living support. 6%  6%  [ 4 ]
Living with my parents - Dependent on parents/people for financial & daily living support. 15%  15%  [ 10 ]
Total votes : 68

Nonperson
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15 Jan 2013, 1:37 am

[1] With spouse & kids.
[2] 18
[3] No. Financially dependent on my husband. Wish I wasn't.
[5] For a few years, but I was a student living on grants for most of that time.
[6] 18 (briefly, then was supported by a boyfriend), 25 (longer).
[7] 33 (got fired).
[8] A. I can't keep a job, but I keep trying. :(



incorrigible
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15 Jan 2013, 1:42 am

[1] Are you living with your parents/other people? Yes - my husband and children.
[2] If you are currently living away from your parents, then at what age did you move out? 15
[3] Are you living 100% independently? Well, no. I'm part of a family.
[5] If the answer to #3 is no, then were you ever living 100% independent? Yes.
[6] If the answer to #5 is yes, then at what age did you start to live 100% independently? 14 (was paying half the mortgage, bills, buying my own food, living completely without outside help, etc.)
[7] If the answer to #5 is yes, then at what age were you no longer living 100% independently? When I married at age 32
[8] If the answer to #3 is no, then what kind of support are you on? I'm not ON support. My kids do some of the chores. My husband earns some of the money.
[A] Financial support
[B] Daily living support
[C] Both of the above
[9] If the answer to #8 is either B or C, then what level of daily living support do you need? I don't have support because I need it. I have it because that's what a family is.
Minimal/Low = Can do many things/everything for myself
Medium = Can do some things for myself, but still need help with some things.
High/Maximal = Can do very few things for myself/Completely dependent on others for support.


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Tinki
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15 Jan 2013, 3:34 am

[1] Are you living with your parents/other people? No
[2] If you are currently living away from your parents, then at what age did you move out? 20
[3] Are you living 100% independently? No
[4] If the answer to #3 is yes, then at what age did you start to live 100% independently?
[5] If the answer to #3 is no, then were you ever living 100% independent? Yes
[6] If the answer to #5 is yes, then at what age did you start to live 100% independently? 20
[7] If the answer to #5 is yes, then at what age were you no longer living 100% independently? 25
[8] If the answer to #3 is no, then what kind of support are you on?
[A] Financial support - Disability pension

Edit: I do see a therapist, and also another lady who takes me out to do stuff every other week. I guess that qualifies as social support!



Last edited by Tinki on 16 Jan 2013, 12:42 am, edited 2 times in total.

supguysfriedchicken
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15 Jan 2013, 4:06 am

[1] Are you living with your parents/other people? Yes
[3] Are you living 100% independently? No
[5] If the answer to #3 is no, then were you ever living 100% independent? No
[8] If the answer to #3 is no, then what kind of support are you on? Financial support


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OJani
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15 Jan 2013, 4:23 pm

Finally I voted "Not living with my parents - Dependent on parents/roommates/people for daily living support." It seems I'm the only one.


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ADoyle90815
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15 Jan 2013, 5:27 pm

Right now, I'm living with parents because I can't afford to live off of my SSI as I have been laid off from 2 jobs during this recession.



anneurysm
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15 Jan 2013, 8:59 pm

[1] Are you living with your parents/other people? With parents
[3] Are you living 100% independently? No :(
[5] If the answer to #3 is no, then were you ever living 100% independent? I lived in two different basement apartments for a total of three years, but had to rely on parents for some of my money.
[8] If the answer to #3 is no, then what kind of support are you on? Financial: no disability supports, but I get OSAP (student loans), and my parents give me money when they think I need it...I'm so grateful for that.
Low/Medium - I have always had executive functioning deficits and am horrible at time planning and organization: my parents help me out with this.


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Given a “tentative” diagnosis as a child as I needed services at school for what was later correctly discovered to be a major anxiety disorder.

This misdiagnosis caused me significant stress, which lessened upon finding out the truth about myself from my current and past long-term therapists - that I am an anxious and highly sensitive person but do not have an autism spectrum disorder.

My diagnoses - social anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

I’m no longer involved with the ASD world.


jetbuilder
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16 Jan 2013, 2:20 am

I lived with my mom and step dad until I was 23. Then I joined the airforce, which was a complete disaster for me. I was discharged 4 months later and moved in with a friend. I stayed there for 4 years. Then I moved in with another friend 6 months ago and I'm still living there.

I feel like I have yet to be truly self sufficient. The last place I lived and where I live now, I didn't take care of any of the bills, I just give my room mates my share of the rent and utilities and they take care of everything. I've never had to go out and look for a place to live on my own. I only have another 6 months in my current apartment and I'm starting to freak out because I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do. I don't make anywhere near enough money to keep the apartment by myself and I've never had to deal with keeping track of paying utility bills and such.

The idea of living alone really scares me because I don't know if I would be able to maintain my home, keep it clean, keep up with bills and such. I do like the idea of having a place to myself though.


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kamiyu910
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16 Jan 2013, 3:06 am

[1] Are you living with your parents/other people? I live with my husband and two children
[2] If you are currently living away from your parents, then at what age did you move out? I got married at 24
[3] Are you living 100% independently? No
[5] If the answer to #3 is no, then were you ever living 100% independent? No
[8] If the answer to #3 is no, then what kind of support are you on?
[A] Financial support
Daily living support
[C] Both of the above
[b][9] If the answer to #8 is either B or C, then what level of daily living support do you need?

Medium = Can do some things for myself, but still need help with some things.

I would like to think that I could live independently, but I would probably end up a hoarding crazy cat lady hermit thing. Currently seeing a therapist and psychiatrist, and doing a type of "group therapy" with my parents once a week. Trying to work up to getting my kids to local public programs... *sigh*


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Ettina
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16 Jan 2013, 7:33 am

Quote:
[1] Are you living with your parents/other people?


Parents and younger brother

Quote:
[2] If you are currently living away from your parents, then at what age did you move out?


Not applicable

Quote:
[3] Are you living 100% independently?


No.

Quote:
[4] If the answer to #3 is yes, then at what age did you start to live 100% independently?


Not applicable

Quote:
[5] If the answer to #3 is no, then were you ever living 100% independent?


No.

Quote:
[6] If the answer to #5 is yes, then at what age did you start to live 100% independently?


Not applicable

Quote:
[7] If the answer to #5 is yes, then at what age were you no longer living 100% independently?


Not applicable

Quote:
[8] If the answer to #3 is no, then what kind of support are you on?
[A] Financial support
[B] Daily living support
[C] Both of the above


Both

Quote:
[9] If the answer to #8 is either B or C, then what level of daily living support do you need?
Minimal/Low = Can do many things/everything for myself
Medium = Can do some things for myself, but still need help with some things.
High/Maximal = Can do very few things for myself/Completely dependent on others for support.


Minimal/low - my self care skills are probably fairly similar to the average 12 year old (I'm 23). I need reminders and sometimes help preparing meals, help with laundry (or them just doing it for me) and help organizing things, and I can't clean up messes. I'm working on developing independent living skills because I want to move back to my previous home to go to the university near there.



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16 Jan 2013, 12:11 pm

[1] Are you living with your parents/other people?

Other people

[2] If you are currently living away from your parents, then at what age did you move out?

17 (college)

[3] Are you living 100% independently?

No

[5] If the answer to #3 is no, then were you ever living 100% independent?

No

[8] If the answer to #3 is no, then what kind of support are you on?

[C] Both of the above

[9] If the answer to #8 is either B or C, then what level of daily living support do you need?

Medium = Can do some things for myself, but still need help with some things.



Dirtdigger
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16 Jan 2013, 2:11 pm

Though it has been rough with the bullies and being picked on all my life, even in the work place where there was one instance that there was a couple of coworkers plotted to get me fired. There scheme was uncovered and they got in a heap of trouble over it. I rented about the first 8 years I got on my own than bought a house and was force to move because of eminent domain which the city never did anything to the land in the block where I use to live and sold it back to contractors that built new house after the city was no longer able to keep it. Then I bought another house which I live in now. I finally took my drivers test and bought a car when I was 28 years old. I have been in the workplace since 19 until I retired in 2009. Even though it's been hell for me I would rather live on my own so I can truly enjoy some of my Aspies traits.

I am just barely above the Aspergers threshold where I was able to live very independly and I know I'm very lucky.



FishStickNick
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18 Jan 2013, 1:20 am

I omitted the questions that don't apply to me...

[1] Are you living with your parents/other people? Yes.
[3] Are you living 100% independently? No. I am
[5] If the answer to #3 is no, then were you ever living 100% independent? No.
[8] If the answer to #3 is no, then what kind of support are you on?
Daily living
[9] If the answer to #8 is either B or C, then what level of daily living support do you need?
Minimal/Low = Can do many things/everything for myself
I am able to take care of most of my needs; I do need some support when it comes to staying on top of things like bills, organization, etc. I can get really disorganized (and stressed out as a result), and I can have a hard time prioritizing tasks. I also don't drive, which can be somewhat limiting. There's also a psychological aspect too, in that it helps to have another human instill some sense into me when I start worrying irrationally. :P



chssmstrjk
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20 Jan 2013, 11:37 am

Since this thread has died down a bit, I might as well post the general results of the poll (and the questions asked along with it):

Precisely 36 (or 59.0%) of the 61 adults with ASDs who chose to participate in the poll were not living with their parents. However, out of these 36 adults, only 20 (or 55.6%) of them were living 100% independently as defined by the OP. This goes against the common definition of living independently (which is not living with your parents).

Out of the 25 adults with ASDs who were still living with their parents (based on the poll), 13 (or 52%) of them were dependent on their parents for, at the most, financial support. This suggests that a fair proportion of adults with ASDs who live with their parents can do many things for themselves (in terms of daily living).

Out of the 18 adults (or 29.5%) with ASDs (based on the poll) who were dependent on others for financial support, a fair majority of them (66.7%) were living with their parents. Out of the 22 adults (based on the poll) who were dependent on others for, at the least, daily living support, a fair percentage of them (54.5%) were living with their parents.

Based on the 15 adults with ASDs who chose to report that they have moved out of their parents' place, the mean age (for doing so) was 20.67 years with a standard deviation of 3.66 years. A limitation of this statistic, aside from the small sample size, would be that some of them were forced by their parents to move out when they were teenagers which would result in the lowering of the mean age for moving out of their parents' place. However, out of these 15 adults, only 3 (or 20%) of them were living 100% independently as defined by the OP. This suggests that, on average, an adult with ASD will not be living 100% independently.

Out of the 25 adults with ASDs who chose to respond to the questions posted in the OP in this thread, 3 (or 12%) of them needed no support at all, 8 (or 32%) of them were dependent on others just for financial support, and 14 (or 56%) of them were dependent on others for, at the least, daily living support. Out of those 14 adults dependent on others for, at the least, daily living support, 3 (or 21.4%) of them needed only a small degree of daily living support, 8 (or 57.1%) of them needed a moderate degree of daily living support, and 3 (or 21.5%) of them chose not to specify this. This suggests that, on average, an adult with an ASD (assuming that it is a mild ASD) will not need that much help in terms of daily living.