Help for Autism Dwindles After High School

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Help for Autism Dwindles After High School

Survey finds almost 40% of young adults with disorder getting no assistance at

all

By Jenifer Goodwin

HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Almost 40 percent of young adults with

autism get no medical, mental health or case management services to help them

make the transition into adulthood, new research has found.

The lack of services is even more pronounced among blacks and low-income people

with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Blacks were more than three times more

likely to not get any services than whites, while families with incomes of less

than $25,000 are nearly six times more likely to get no services than families

with incomes of more than $75,000.

" Young people with an ASD and their families are pushed off a cliff when

students leave high school, where special education provides many needed

services, " said study author Shattuck, an assistant professor of social

work at Washington University in St. Louis. " Loss of supportive services

generally means greater emotional and financial strain for family caregivers and

reduced opportunities for the adult with autism to be productively engaged in

the community. "

The study is published in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics &

Adolescent Medicine.

Much of the focus of research into autism is on young children, an age at which

interventions have been shown to make a big difference for many with autism,

said Goring, Autism Speaks' vice president of family services. Likewise, in

schools, special education is a federal mandate.

" We hear from families all the time that there really aren't enough services for

adults in the areas of employment, housing options and supports such as

recreational programs and post-secondary educational opportunities, " Goring

said. " More and more is being developed, but it doesn't meet the needs of all of

the adults with ASD that are here now, and certainly there are many more

coming. "

An estimated one in 110 children has an autism spectrum disorder, according to

the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The prevalence of autism

has risen over the past two decades.

And though the focus on early intervention is important, Shattuck noted, autism

is a lifelong condition. " The majority of the typical lifespan unfolds during

adulthood, " and there's a need to find ways to improve life for autistic people

of all ages.

In the study, researchers looked at data from a national survey of the parents

of young adults in 2007 and 2008.

About 9 percent of 19- to 23-year-olds were getting speech therapy, about 42

percent received case management, 23.5 percent received medical services and 35

percent received mental health services.

About 39 percent received no services.

Access to services had fallen from the young adults' high school years, when

nearly 75 percent were getting speech therapy, about 64 percent had a case

manager, about 47 percent received medical services and 46.2 percent received

mental health services.

Autism is a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by problems with language

and social interactions. About 40 percent of children with autism don't speak,

while about 25 percent to 30 percent of children are able to say some words at 1

year to 18 months old but then lose the ability, while still others learn to

speak later in childhood, according to the CDC.

" The ability to succeed at social interaction and communication is necessary for

success in employment, post-secondary education, job training and community

participation, " Shattuck said. " However, funding streams for adult services

rarely reimburse for speech therapy. Our policies are yanking away one of the

interventions that probably matters most when it comes to helping these young

adults succeed at life in the community. "