Everyone Deserves the Opportunity to Meet Their Full Potential
Nearly every parent worries about their child’s future. When it comes to my eight year old autistic son I worry on a heightened level.
Recently, on a podcast I co-host, Table for Five No Reservations, we have interviewed parents of disabled adults and some disabled individuals themselves. All with different levels of need and in different areas.
In some ways it gave me hope about the future but in many others it scared me.
A blatant recurring theme hit me. Opportunities and resources astoundingly decrease when people like my son hit adulthood.
In some places, it happens at 21 other places 26. Really, even at 18, a lot changes.
Some refer to it as ‘falling off the cliff.’
Even families with higher incomes find few places for their children, and obviously, those with much lower incomes are left with few options.
Within the realm of autism, even of those adults who had the ability and opportunities to obtain a college education, only about 15% of them are employed (1).
Opportunities for autistic adults to live on their own and receive proper help very much varies from state to state.
Higher needs individuals are left with little choices for places for them to go and thrive.
Some only have the option of nursing home type situations where caretakers are underpaid and often don’t receive benefits. High turnover rates cause issues and inconsistency.
The problem is not that any of these individuals don’t have the ability to grow and learn in adulthood.
The problem is that they aren’t given always given the chance or space to.
“A study in Australia found that reducing the unemployment of people with ASD by one-third would lead to a $43 billion increase in the Australian Gross Domestic Product.”
People like my son can make a difference. His purpose does not end when high school does.
A lot of amazing parents and families start businesses to help their children find purposes, but not everyone can do that.
There are businesses that make it a point to employ or teach disabled adults. If you come across one please support them.
We need other businesses and universities to step up and create opportunities.
Not to mention the need for more doctors, dentists, and therapists who cater to high need adults or those struggling with anxiety and sensory needs.
My son is only eight, and his future keeps me and my husband up at night. As parents, we want our son to have opportunities and thrive. He is capable of so much. He just needs the chance.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to meet their full potential.
Such truth. My husband and I teach NAMI education courses, and this is covered in our course. Post- high school is a challenging time for our kids. Our 34 year-old daughter, who amazingly got married, is not able to work, or more importantly, maintain a job. But she and her husband, also disabled, create a mostly happy little world. You can read about it in Unexpected, A Memoir of Endurance and Triumph in Raising a Challenging Child.(She was dx with ADHD, ODD, Asperger’s, and Bipolar.)
Yes, I am glad to see a focus on disabled adult children. I am truly concerned about my grandson’s future once he graduates from high school this yr.