Two Ways to Help Young Adults with Autism Succeed in Their Transition to Adulthood

Reaching adulthood can be a little difficult to go through for young adults with special needs. The number has increased of young people with autism who need help navigating the critical challenges of entering adulthood. 

Even though these bright young adults have an amazing potential, many of them will return home after college, become underemployed, isolate themselves and lose motivation, according to Jennifer Kilby, M.A. Program Director at the College Internship Program in Long Beach and disability rights advocate. As parents and advocates, we have to ensure that these students graduate at the same rates as their peers and finish college with the same skill sets. 

There are two areas that families of young adults with autism spectrum disorder should focus on to help with the successful transition to adulthood: Social Competence and Executive Functioning, according to Jennifer Kilby, M.A. Program Director at the College Internship Program in Long Beach and disability rights advocate

With social competence, young adults should deliberately practice social interactions in the natural environment. The social-cognitive learning difference is the most abstract of all learning differences that people with autism must overcome. Most of the time they don’t understand the need to interpret what others are thinking and feeling and have limited social interactions compared to their peers which may contribute to a higher rate of discomfort, unemployment, incarceration and isolation. Some strategies to increase their social interactions are to volunteer or participate in community service activities, schedule lessons or attend classes outside of school. 

Another best and effective practice would be to learn from a social mentor. A social mentor is someone older that acts as a role model for social and problem-solving skills. Some research shows that role modeling by positive social mentors in real-life situations carries the highest degree of learning success. 

These individuals can also benefit from working on their executive functioning. This can include explicit training on how to plan, set goals and prioritize tasks more effectively. Executive functioning skills builds confidence, increases comfort with new situations and reduces cognitive drain. Young adults with autism learn these skills best by working in small groups and using visual prompts after multiple experiences in the home, work and community settings.

How well a person makes a transition is usually dependent upon the degree and amount of support that is available to the individual. We need to support young adults with autism spectrum disorder and give them the confidence they need to live as independently as possible.