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?
I think my biggest challenge is that I'm older, I was diagnosed at the age of 50, I'm now 62 and nobody knows what to do with me, the general thinking seems to be that I made it 50 OK, so I don't need any help.
It's great that young people are getting the help they need, but some of us oldies need help too.
Howdy. Where I'm at, autism is still very much not favored in the workplace, as much as certain corporations and ma-and-pa shops try to be publicly open to it. It's difficult to get a job and stay hired long enough to actually get a life going. I've applied for thousands of jobs over the last couple of years, with some staying for a bit, maybe up to a couple months, not long enough for some benefits like health insurance to kick in. It makes me want to scream sometimes, can't help but be a bit mad about it. Biggest thing that irks me now is how people say "eventually you'll get a job" or "just gotta have hope." I'm always just a step away from being homeless, though I do try to stay positive. Thanks for your question, hope your day is going better than mine.
I would say it depends very much on the individual. Although autists are wired differently to neurotypicals, we don't all think and behave the same way. There is a saying that when you have met one autistic person, you have met one autistic person. If I think back to when I was transitioning into adulthood, it would have been difficult for me to state what my biggest challenge was, as there were several things that I found equally challenging.