Did you know that many autistic children experience difficulty transitioning into teenagers or young adults? This happens because ASD affects their mental state, which makes it hard to go through these life changes. Fortunately, some services and strategies can make it easier for them. Learn what challenges are faced by autistic teens and young adults, and ways to support them in this article. Visit the best Mental Health Clinic in Brooklyn at Doral Health & Wellness or log on to www.doralhw.org.
Challenges Faced by Autistic Teens and Young Adults
When autistic children grow into teenagers and young adults, they face many challenges in life. The most common ones are:
- Social and communication challenges:
Autistic teens and adults often struggle with interpreting social cues, understanding unspoken social rules, and building or maintaining friendships. Miscommunication and misunderstandings are quite common among them, leading to feelings of isolation, especially in social group settings and places like school or workplace environments.
- Academic and career pressures:
The transition from school to work seems daunting. Academic success may need additional accommodations, while workplace settings lack inclusivity for neurodiverse individuals. This makes many autistic individuals face challenges in having secure employment and learning, experiencing wage disparities despite having the same skills and qualifications.
- Sensory sensitivities:
Bright lights, loud noises, and crowded spaces can overwhelm many autistic individuals, making environments like schools, workplaces, and public spaces difficult to navigate. Sensory overload leads to stress and shutdowns.
- Mental health concerns:
Autistic teens and adults mostly experience anxiety, depression, and trauma due to social isolation, bullying, and discrimination. These challenges occur due to a lack of access to mental health resources tailored for the autistic community.
- Independence and Life skills:
Developing essential life skills such as budgeting, cooking, and using public transportation is an important part of independence. However, these tasks are often difficult to adapt to autistic individuals, which makes the transition to adulthood more challenging.
Autism Support for Teens and Young Adults
To support autistic teens and young adults in their transition phase, here are certain things you can consider:
- Design the transition plan:
Transition plans for the early teens from school help them learn what they need to know. Some schools offer this plan from the age of 13 or 14. By federal law, an individualized education program (IEP) must be started by the age of 16. This program is addressed to teens who:
- Stay in high school until they turn 21: This extra time helps them to complete graduation with the necessary job skills. Students may also be able to work independently, learn essential life skills, including how to get around in public transportation, or handle money.
- Complete the requirements to get a high school diploma: If the teen is not on diploma track, help them to earn a certificate of completion or attendance.
- Go to college or trade school to learn basic living skills.
If higher education isn’t good for them, a job or day program can help them to learn the necessary life skills, or other activities that suit them. The IEP team will talk with you and your teen to decide their future, so that they can address things that help in a proper transition to an adult.
- Register your teen:
Your state’s developmental disabilities agency may help you with this transition by offering different services to your teens. You just need to register your teen with the agency as quickly as you can because sometimes it has a long waiting list. You can get all details about these services and how to apply on the U.S. government’s Benefit Finder.
- Explore Education After High School:
If your teen is interested in higher education or job training, they can take many paths, including:
- Traditional 4-year colleges: These colleges offer disability services to help your teens. Some schools provide support programs, peer mentoring, and flexible schedules to match the teen’s pace of learning. Online degree programs may be good for some students who are good at learning outside a classroom setting.
- Community and 2-year colleges: Some community colleges offer special programs for adults with developmental disabilities. See if you find one of these in your area.
- Vocational or technical/trade schools: These schools give teens hands-on training in a variety of trades.
- Adult education: These teach skills like cooking, cleaning, or job training. If teens don’t get this in high school, then local community colleges help with it.
Talking with teens helps to know what things they are interested in. If you need help, consult a job coach. Teens are in a growing stage. If, after high school ends, they want to go in a different direction, be flexible and keep other options open.
- Do the legal work:
When teens turn 18, they’re legally adults. But if they struggle to make decisions about medical or money affairs, you may need to create a legal document (power of attorney) in advance. This allows them to get medical or financial help if needed. Also, buy health insurance before they reach 26 years of age. This allows them to get health coverage through Medicaid. Teens might be eligible for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income, make sure to find out the eligibility for those benefits as well.
- Talk about sexuality:
Teens’ bodies are changing and maturing, which means they might want to have relationships that involve sex. Make sure you talk with your teen and guide them properly about birth control and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This can help them prevent being victims of sexual assault. Make sure they know everything about appropriate sexual behavior.
- Find new doctors:
Most doctors who look after kids and teens don’t cater to adults; so, your teen might need to be switched to adult care by the age of 21. You can talk to your child’s current care providers to get referrals for others who work with young adults. You can also ask your friends or autism support groups or look online to find information.
Interventions and treatments
Many interventions and treatments are used to treat autistic teens and adults, including:
- Behavior approaches: These approaches focus on changing their behaviors to manage the symptoms of ASD.
- Developmental approaches: These approaches focus on improving their specific developmental skills, such as language skills or physical skills, or a wide range of interconnected developmental abilities. It works in combination with behavioral approaches.
- Educational approaches: These approaches help people to learn academic or technical skills that help in daily routines or a job.
- Social-relational approaches: These approaches focus on improving social skills and building emotional bonds.
- Pharmacological approaches: This approach focuses on treating symptoms that occur along with ASD to improve their quality of life.
- Psychological approaches: These approaches help people to cope with other mental issues caused by ASD, such as anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues.
- Complementary and alternative treatments: These approaches use supplements or traditional approaches to treat ASD, such as special diets, herbal supplements, chiropractic care, animal therapy, arts therapy, mindfulness, etc.
Transitioning into teenage years and adulthood is particularly challenging for autistic children. They need to go through many obstacles and overcome them to live a normal life with others. However, with the above-mentioned ways to support autism in teens and young adults, the transition can be facilitated smoothly, and they can be empowered to live a better life.
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