Adults With Autism Lose Benefits and Often Support

Hilary Waldman, a journalist at “The Hartford Courant,” in Connecticut, recently covered the problems adults with autism have when they reach the age of 21. Benefits, limited as they already are, seem to diminish even further. For autistic people living in that state, as well as in Alabama and Mississippi, the problem is dire; there are no benefits whatsoever for adults with autism in those three states.

“They get all of these good services in school, and you reach that magic age and all of a sudden those services disappear,” said Jeanne Milstein, the state’s child advocate. “I mean talk about setting them up to fail.”

The potential these people have is sadly being ignored or totally disregarded. Although the majority do have intellectual challenges as seen by this chart (showing the mental retardation percentage rates), they are challenges that society can work with to help autistic adults live a fulfilling life.

At 21, The Help Ends

An entry on Karen Hunter’s blog about this story. Hunter is a Reader Representative and Associate Editor at “The Hartford Courant.”