Adults on the Autism Spectrum and Their Families: Residential Issues

Abstract

When a person with ASD leaves the framework of high school, dilemmas arise regarding how to proceed into the next stage of life. The question of residence is one of the central questions that a family faces, and it may take years to resolve. The decision for the person with ASD to remain at home requires the assistance of professionals in order to allow the young adult to advance in terms of accomplishing basic life tasks and to maintain healthy and beneficial functioning in the family. The choice to move to a residence outside the home is always challenging for young people with ASD and their families. The need to find appropriate solutions for young people with ASD had led to the development of specialized services in many parts of the world. This chapter discusses the issue of independent housingIndependence-housing options for young people on the high-functioning end of the autism spectrum (HF-ASD). The first part reviews models of residence outside the family home that are available in various parts of the world. This section covers the process of moving outside the parental home and the challengesChallenges this poses to the entire family. The second part of this chapter presents some key principles and tools for the management and development of residentialResidential frameworks outside the home for adults with HF-ASDHF-ASD - Adult.