Published on 12, July, 2020
I am an occupational therapist who works with autistic teens and young adults. I am curious- what is the biggest challenge autistic teens and young adults face as they transition to adulthood? Is it the fear of being lonely? Employment? Succeeding in college? Being accepted by others and making friends?
NAS94217 said:what is the biggest challenge autistic teens and young adults face as they transition to adulthood?
I work with teens leaving school and transitioning into the workplace and from what I see their biggest challenge is the unknown.
There is no book that explains all the stuff that neurotypicals just seem to understand - how to sell yourself in an interview, how to cope in a new team in the workplace, why your boss is always asking you to do stuff, why do I have to pay taxes, who should I speak to at work etc etc.
It causes lots of anxiety and is something I'm trying to help them through and use to build a guide for the next waves of leavers.
Iain said: what I see their biggest challenge is the unknown
Put in words perfectly. I thought that everyone has the same anxiety like me. I wish I had someone help me back then, like you do help next generations. Hopefully our experiences help us and the next generations of autists to be better understood and supported.
I think that was a big turning point for me, when I realised, after being alive for over 40 years, that not everyone else was battling through every day, hiding the anxiety from others assuming they were doing the same.
From that point on I slowly started to realise what it was that was "actually" different and ended up with a diagnosis.
I somehow felt that they are much less stressed than me, often heard questions why I’m so stressed. “Relax everything is ok” I thought that others are so good at hiding their anxiety. It’s only me poor at that.