Autistic adults are being left behind.

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An excellent point. This would likely be the explanation for most of the conflicts in AS/NT marriages. It's purely a communication issue. If someone is trying their hardest to decode their spouse's emotions and their spouse does shows very little emotion or an inappropriate one, the person will become confused and eventually, frustrated.

Yes! This is exactly what I am referring to, and what I feel needs to be implemented if we are truly going to include autistic adults in today's society. In terms of socializing, yes, there definitely needs to be more social groups run by and for autistic adults. In addition, there should be adult social skills training through job coaches or formal classes for people who want to work on things like that.

The group in my closet major city seems to have been a tremdous source of friendship and support for the people involved...just wish this could happen on a more widespread scale, especially in more areas where there isn't a lot of support. One girl I mentor is constantly looking for a group of people who understand her and would highly benefit from a group like this. She lives too far away to access any of this stuff, and it breaks my heart.

As someone who has close ties with the intellectual disablity field, I have seen similar situations like this one. It's appalling, and while businesses such as these may initially seem like a great idea, they are truly not benefitting the people they are supposed to help. This is not integration into the community, this is segregation, as it is not giving these people opportunities to advance themselves, let alone be on the same plane as the other workers.

It's true, and it's just unfair that services like ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) are truly not doing enough for the people they are supposed to help. The payments involved usually only cover rent and food, with little for programs, mental health supports, or anything of that caliber, which are so desparately needed for this population.

My younger sister is on ODSP, and she only does fine because my parents apply and battle relentlessly for all the hidden extra money out there. She also lives in a group home, and they provide a lot of her basic needs there without the additional costs involved if she were able to live independently. She ends up having spending money which she uses on events where she is actively involved in the community and out with her peers. She also has my mom, the group home staff and her respite workers drive her around. I know a few people on ODSP who have to use a bus pass, which eats up a huge chunk of their payment. I also know a young woman with AS on ODSP whose parents aren't doing too well financially, so they have to use her paycheck on their own expenses. She has very little money for things taht could benefit her as a result.

If you cannot fight for this extra money, you barely get by. The sad thing is, many people on ODSP have no additional forms of support and are even unaware that they can do something about their situations.

I'm unable to find this article...if you or anyone else could post the link that would be much appreciated

Thank you, you explained it more clearly than I could.

Is this the article???

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/us/au ... .html?_r=1

What I think would be helpful, would be to help AS people develop an independent job environment, based on each individual's skills/interests.

I have tried working in e.g. supermarkets. It is not possible, and I mean NOT possible. I have tried many times to work in such areas. My limit was around 2 months. And after that I was pysically and spiritually down and under... for weeks.

I was lucky and had help establishing a business on freelance basis. I control my hours of labor myself and I work from home. Under these conditions working is no problem.

Without help I would never have managed to start this.

Hmm I probably could not work at a super market due to the florecent lighting and the overwhelming environment.....but I don't really feel self directed enough to run my own job, so that probably would not be very ideal either.

x)
I didnt bother describing why it isnt possible, as the list would be ...long.

Im not very self directed either, but I do a good job and so people forgive my chaotic times.

I'll admit provided I am working with people I get along with I prefer that to working alone or trying to be self directed, not to mention I don't exactly have any good skills to make up for the chaotic times I would run into. But to each their own, if you've found a way to make things work for you that's awesome.

Well no, not directly. I just go through the crap.

That's the one! I read it a few days ago too, but totally forgot about it.

It is poignant, well-written, and especially illustrates what tons of autistic adults ae going through.

I think this should be passed around and read by every organization who truly claims to care about people with autism.

Supermarkets are terrible, one of the worse jobs I've ever had. The managers are disengaged and unaware and do not care about the bullying of associates, rather blame the person being bullied as "causing problems."

I've also been a manager on three separate occasions, including the manager of a small photocopy center. I have a theory, the "easier" a job is, in conventional terms, actually the harder it is. Whereas a "hard" job, it tends to be hard in a straightforward way and is actually easier!

As far as entrepreneurship, and starting one's own business, that's what I'm talking about. Even given the baseline statistic that 80% of new businesses fail, typically because fixed expenses eat you alive before sales really come in. I like the idea of service businesses run out of one's home or car.

Now, one business, we could start music sites and potentially fund services for adults on the spectrum. We could focus on either genre or geographic region, respect the music and our listeners, not insist on exclusives. Still a long shot, but so much more upside than something like a resale shop. Ideally, we'd like to have enough money for a couple of buy-ins, because that's probably what it would take.

Trust me, people CAN survive. How do I know? I survived. I am intellectually fine, I've been told I'm on the smart side, but given my functioning level, I shouldn't be able to care for myself. I can't work, talk to people other than in pre-planned monologue scripts, answer questions verbally within three days, be around people ages 14-30, be around anyone female over age 12 with a very few exceptions, be around more than one person without my fiance or caretaker, shower, load a refrigerator, make a simple choice, eat without being forced, I can't deal with bright colors, background noise, moisture, drinking anything non-carbonated, loud noises, unpredictability or unplanned events of ANY sort, or being corrected.

Despite being misdiagnosed and over medicated to the point of nearly dying twice, having abusive parents, lacking a supportive school environment, running away at 18 to avoid living with them, being homeless 6 times in the year and half since then and refusing to ever go to a shelter because there would be women and strangers there, and not being diagnosed until the passed few months, I'm engaged, and I'm doing better than I've ever done before. There may not be official support available to me, but I'm happy and I'm still learning and growing, albeit slower and less officially than if I had proper help. I know everyone isn't so lucky, but I think if they truly tried, they'd find they could survive too.

The simple fact of the matter is, those who are trained to deal with autistic children, including experts, claim that autistic adults are out of their league. They don't know what to do with them. Perhaps because autistic adults are too set in their ways? I'm not sure. But yeah autistic adults have far fewer options than children.