Autism makes life after high school a struggle for the 'Mayor of Parkway West'

[pstokely]

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/autism-makes-life-after-high-school-a-struggle-for-the/article_54102bee-2ea9-58c6-933e-47e097fff797.html

"Researchers agree there is a gap in opportunities and services for young adults with autism after high school. Experts call it “the cliff.”

Most services for young people with disabilities are delivered through school, because federal law requires it. But once they finish high school, that federal mandate ends.

It is largely left to parents to find a place for their children to land, whether it be a job, college or independent living. But research shows that the services their children received in school often don’t translate to productive life outcomes.

Studies show that people with autism are far less likely to find employment or continue their education after high school, even compared to people with other intellectual or developmental disabilities.

One 2015 study by Drexel University researchers shows that more than 60 percent of young adults with autism are not working or continuing their education in the first couple of years out of high school. There is little to no credible data showing how they fare after those first couple of years, said Paul Shattuck, a co-author of the study.

“The reality is the majority of young people, when they leave high school, they’re not transitioning into anything other than Mom’s basement,” he said. “It depresses me, frankly.”

Shattuck speculates that few people with autism are employed because more jobs today are service-oriented. They often require connections and communication with customers or colleagues. The cliff exists despite $10 billion to $12 billion spent on services for people with autism each year, Shattuck said.

“How is it that we have so much effort being spent, and yet outcomes remain so poor?” he said. “I don’t have an answer.”"