Adult Autism Services: Advocating for Life-long Supports

Dr. Mary Barbera discusses adult autism services and advocating for life-long supports with Jill Escher.
Sign up for a free workshop to start turning autism around: bit.ly/3EuxQW7
Subscribe to get more insightful videos about #autism and related topics at: goo.gl/cGSdxX
Today we are talking all about adult autism services for individuals with severe autism. This is an excerpt from podcast episode 153 that I did with Jill Escher, who is the president of the National Council for Severe Autism. We talk about the challenges with helping adults with severe autism and some steps that we can take to improve the situation, not only for our adult kids, but also for the kids who will transition to adulthood in the years and decades to come.
This is a very important topic as the rate of autism continues to increase, from 1 in 500 in 1999 when my son Lucas was diagnosed to 1 in 54 two years ago to 1 in 44 just reported by the CDC in early December 2021. The number of adults with autism will be dramatically increasing in the future and this means the need for adult autism services will continue to explode at unprecedented rates.
When the DSM-5 came out, social media blew up. And adults with autism who were conversational and could self-advocate started advocating for themselves - as they should. But now the pendulum has swung to one direction where politicians and the media are heavily focused on the more mild end of the spectrum and affecting the care and services needed for those adults with severe autism. Some now say we shouldn't have places for them to go into pre-vocational programs (otherwise known as sheltered workshops) or we shouldn't have residential placements.
“Honestly, I think there's been an all out assault on the severe autism community,” Jill Escher told me. She said that disability rights advocates have a very rosy view of what autism actually is, and that there’s a “pervasive denialism” about the levels of disability in autism and what certain people’s lifespan needs will be.
“One example was sheltered workshops. The disability rights crusaders have very successfully been limiting access to non-competitive employment for people with severe disabilities. The idea is that people with disabilities shouldn't be paid less than people without disabilities. I'm all for somebody getting a competitive, integrated job, if they can. I'm all for supports for that person. But the fact of the matter is anybody with two eyes can see that that is not possible for probably the majority of people with autism. I mean, the data really shows that people with autism have incredibly low rates of employment.”
Subscribe on Facebook for more free resources:
bit.ly/3doFchE
If you enjoyed this video on adult autism services, be sure to subscribe to the channel, like this video and visit my website below. If you have more questions, leave them down in the comments section, and I will do my best to answer you. Thanks for watching today's video blog, and let's #turnautismaround together!
Interested in learning more about teaching a child with autism, special needs parenting, or other autism and special needs topics in the mental health in children niche?
Visit us: bit.ly/3DrS01l
Contact us: [e-mail]
You can also connect with us at:
Facebook: MaryBarbera.com/facebook
Twitter: MaryBarbera.com/twitter
Instagram: MaryBarbera.com/instagram
Pinterest: MaryBarbera.com/pinterest
LinkedIn: MaryBarbera.com/linkedin
Dr. Mary Barbera. I fell into the autism world as an autism mom in 1999 when her first-born son, Lucas, was diagnosed with autism. Since then, she became a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst and best-selling author of The Verbal Behavior Approach. Since 2015, she’s created 3 autism online courses based on applied behavior analysis for professionals and "gung-ho" parents. Whether you’re looking for autism parenting strategies, working with development delays in children, or in search of autism help for professionals, I can encourage you to subscribe to the channel and join me on my journey. I’ll be providing weekly autism resources that you don’t want to miss.

[@cheyyotrujillo8177]

Because of my autism I didn’t make it far in school I’m a slow learner so most skilled jobs have never had patience with me and fired me as for other regular jobs I’ve lost count as how much I’ve jumped around they have all been low paying temp agency or warehouse type jobs or heavy labor jobs these jobs have given me anxiety, depression for many reasons and I have always struggled with paying attention and focusing causing me to not last at these jobs as my mind always wonders off whenever I’m doing something that uninterests me that only careers that do interest me u need college education being in my late twenties I’m scared I have tons of emotional breakdowns and feel like I’m drowning I only have 100 dollars in my account and live pay check to pay check.. if it wasn’t for my brother I’d be homeless

[@marybarbera]

Thanks for sharing. You are amazing! And you're lucky to have your brother. I hope you can join our workshops and be part of our online community: marybarbera.com/workshops/

[@user-om9yf4kp4l]

I have no idea where to get any advocacy I am on the autistic spectrum and I am 46 years old now

[@marybarbera]

Every state is different (assuming you're in the U.S.), but it all starts with researching and/or asking around for help/direction with what you need. Please don't be afraid to lean on those you know to help you if you need it! I think we all struggle to ask for help sometimes.

[@user-om9yf4kp4l]

@@marybarbera I got as far as contacting Mike Rogers‘s office in Alabama and I got a letter back but they still don’t have any resources or I wouldn’t have been a part of something by now, The local Easter seals that I have dealt with previously was no help

[@Shardulee]

Good one

[@marybarbera]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@reejiraj4520]

Tamil language please

[@angelarummeny8474]

No one understands until they are in the same position unfortunately. They can say all they like as they don’t live it.

[@marybarbera]

so true.