Autistic Adults Lack Services

Anne Dachel won the Age of Autism Award last year for her tireless advocacy for our kids.

In an email today she calls attention to the lack of services for adults with autism.

What will happen when the autistic children of Chandler's generation no longer have their parents to care for them?

Before I drive myself crazy here, let me send this. These scary stories about the lack of services are out every single day. They're local and state items. They'll sometimes use the words "crisis" and "epidemic"---but never with a demand for answers. Only rarely do reporters project that the situation will get worse as these kids age out.

With the medical community diagnosing more and more autism, patting themselves on the back for doing it earlier and earlier but with no alarm, and federal officials promoting the myth that there is no increase and that autism is genetic............I truly think that no bad how bad the situation gets, doctors and health officials will continue to pretend it just isn't happening.

We'll have disabled people in the streets with nowhere to go eventually when mom and dad are no longer there.

I have to laugh........every year John who's now twenty, gets a letter from the county telling him his status on the waiting list....

last year, he was #42....this year, he's #36............

I honestly don't know what happens when he gets to be #1..........there are no services in the area for autistic adults.

Anne

Wait Is All Many Disabled Can Do
The Ledger, FL

"We're going to put people in crisis," said Debra Dowds, executive director of the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council. "We recognize there needs to be some changes. The problem is the level they've done is way too severe."

Treating Autism at the Marcus Institute
WXIA-TV, GA

Autism Spectrum Disorder is at a crisis level and the Marcus Institute and Easter Seals of north Georgia are two places trying to help autistic children and their families.

When 'the cuteness is gone'
Bridgewater Courier News, NJ

Much of the media attention focused on autism is directed at children -- but once a child is 21, the state no longer mandates any services to be provided, and a person with autism is on his or her own.

As the growing number of autistic children in New Jersey grows up, parents and service providers are worried about the supply of public resources to help autistic adults live, work and interact with the community with independence and dignity.

Autism epidemic being ignored

Daily Telegraph, Australia

Autism's Angels: Women Start School for Children with Autism
First Coast News, FL

Virginia fails to provide care for children with autism
Fauquier Times-Democrat, VA

People with autism with no other qualifying "label" are eligible for services under the Developmental Disability Waiver. And guess what? That waiting list is also years long. Children do not have three to five years to wait until their slot is open.

Children should not be on 'waiting list' for services
Central Maine Morning Sentinel, ME

Families struggle to care for the mentally disabled
Victoria Advocate, TX

The Texas Legislature is looking at funding that could impact families like the Sausedas, who were on a waiting list for 11 years before finally receiving mental health support for the twins in 2005. Local mental health caregivers, meanwhile, are waiting to learn if 212 other area families can similarly finally stop waiting this year.

Parents plead for aid from county services
Appleton Post Crescent, WI

Group works to help the developmentally disabled
Baltimore Examiner, MD
"There's a bit of a debate over whether that's just a more exact diagnostic capability [or an actual rise]," Morgan said. "Regardless, it's clearly a condition that's increasingly presenting itself for care and treatment."