Autism and Aging

Autism is so intriguing to me. I have a cousin with it so I have been fascinated since a young age. During high school I spent a lot of time volunteering in the special education classroom at my school. Then, during my undergraduate career, I became a nanny for a 3 year old boy with Autism. I also worked in early intervention and Applied Behavior Analysis. Because of these experiences, I was determined to work in pediatrics later in life. That was until 2015 when a series of events really opened my eyes. My cousin with Autism had been aged out of high school for a few years by this point, and he had nothing to do. All he did was sit at home and watch TV, which led to him becoming overweight and depressed, resulting in behavioral outbursts. I have another cousin that has an intellectual disability who was preparing to graduate high school, and her parents were so stressed about what her plans would be. Around the same time all of this was happening, I got an internship with an activities director for Knoxville Parks and Recreation, where we provided activities for adults with special needs (most of them with Autism). There were a few organizations these individuals were part of and that's how they were able to participate, but it made me think about all of the individuals like my cousin that weren't part of something like this. We had the same ~10-20 individuals come to our center every day to play games and work on social skills. While it didn't seem like much to play kickball or frisbee golf a few hours each day, it was so beneficial for these individuals because it gave them a schedule and mostly importantly, a purpose. It was during this time that I really became passionate about creating something for Adults with special needs, especially Autism.
AOTA's website gives the statistic that in 2011, there were more than 300,000 people over the age 22 living with Autism. Autism is very prevalent, with 1 in 68 children being diagnosed. With such a high number of new diagnoses every year, these individuals are growing older and aging out of the school system. For too many people, this means the end of routine and purpose. Vision 2025 says, "Occupational therapy maximizes health, well-being, and quality of life for all people, populations, and communities through effective solutions that facilitate participation in everyday living." To make this vision a reality, providing post-graduate opportunities for adults with Autism is crucial. By neglecting the adult population, we are not maximizing the health, well-being, and quality of life for ALL people. I am very passionate about this topic, and would love to one day specialize in it!