Adults have autism too: World Autism Awareness Day
by Patricia
Today is World Autism Awareness Day, and that gives me a chance to let you know about the autism services and treatments Easter Seals makes available to families living with autism. A number of wonderful organizations research and study the cause and cure for autism — Easter Seals stands out as the nation’s leading provider of services and support for children and adults living with the disorder.
The Easter Seals Living with Autism Study last year provided us with quantifiable information about the services and supports that families living with autism desperately need. Parents of children with autism are struggling with a host of worries that impact every aspect of their lives. They are particularly concerned that their family will lack the life-long supports needed to address the significant challenges of autism.
Results of the study revealed parents raising children with autism are very concerned about the future independence of their children. In fact, they’re far more concerned than parents of typically developing children — nearly 80 percent say they’re extremely or very concerned about their children’s independence as an adult, compared to only 32 percent of parents of typically developing children. This is especially true when it comes to their financial independence, quality of life, social and inter-personal connections, and employment and housing opportunities — and with good reason.
The study quantifies what Easter Seals has heard anecdotally over the years. The one consistent message Easter Seals hears from the families we serve — after the initial apprehension and anxiety of learning their child has autism — is an overwhelming concern about the life-long supports their child with autism may need.
More than a generation ago, Easter Seals was front and center during the polio epidemic, working tirelessly to help children and adults with polio gain the skills necessary to live independently. And now, Easter Seals is working internationally to provide help, hope and answers to families living with autism today by delivering personalized services and treatments, as well as advocating with government to encourage financing for research and improved access to services and supports for people with autism.
Every family living with a person who has autism faces unique challenges. Early detection and intervention are the essential first steps. There is an urgent need for increased funding and services — especially for adults with autism.
We want to help change all of this and make a difference for families living with autism today. Help us change the lives of people living with autism by becoming a volunteer or donor — visit www.actforautism.org to learn more about autism, read the findings of the Easter Seals Living with Autism Study, and find services at an Easter Seals near you.