by Kalliope Bessler
Despite the unique and varied capabilities that people with autism have, a large amount of people with autism in America have a difficult time finding work or being hired in workplaces that aren’t made specifically for people with disabilities. In 2017, the Drexel University A.J. Adrexel Autism Institute found that only 14% of adults ages 18-64 with autism spectrum disorder in America had a paid job in their community in a workplace that did not exclusively employ those with disabilities.
This struggle to find employment is just one of the many issues that adults with autism experience, and many of those issues can be attributed to the lack of services for adults with disabilities.
Paul Shattuck, PhD, an associate professor in Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health and the director of the Autism Institute’s Life Course Outcomes program, said that “billions are spent each year on services for people on the autism spectrum.” However, there is a significant change in the amount of support and services that people with autism receive upon entering adulthood, as noted by a research scientist on Shattuck’s team, Anne Roux. Roux stated that there is a “services cliff” that disabled young adults experience in their transition from school, especially education programs tailored to their needs, and into the adult world.
The “services cliff” can be described as a major decrease in services for adults with disabilities as they finish high school and become legal adults. There are no federal mandates that require supportive services for adults with disabilities. According to Roux, a result of the services cliff is that young adults with disabilities, especially those with autism, may struggle to find employment, continue their education beyond high school, or live on their own.
When families of people with autism cannot access services such as speech therapy, occupational or life-skills therapy, physical therapy, health services, transportation, or a personal aide (among other things), young adults with autism may not successfully transition into adulthood.
This is not to say that people with autism are incapable of achieving goals or finding work without the help of government programs or services. However, based on the diverse needs of individuals with autism and depending on the services received throughout their time in school, they could be put at a serious disadvantage because of the aforementioned loss of support and services as they transition into adulthood.
They may not feel as independent or enabled to achieve what they want to in adulthood because they do not have access to crucial supports. Roux writes, “the creation of effective transition planning and programming to meet the needs of the 50,000 individuals with autism who leave high school each year – each with unique strengths, interests, and challenges – is an urgent task facing our society” (Roux). She suggests that continued support from communities can help those with autism feel more comfortable as they move on to a more independent lifestyle and seek jobs or further education.
Sources:
Otto, F. (2017, May 24). 27 Percent of Adults with Autism Who Use State Disability Services Have No Work or Other Activities: National Autism Indicators Report 2017. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from https://drexel.edu/now/archive/2017/May/National-Autism-Indicators-Report-Finds-Low-Employment-for-Adults-With-Autism-on-DD-Services/
Roux, A. (2015, August 31). Falling Off the Services Cliff. Retrieved June 20, 2020, from https://drexel.edu/autismoutcomes/blog/overview/2015/August/falling-off-the-services-cliff/