Comments on: Parents worry about who will care for their adult children with autism http://www.theautismnews.com/2009/07/20/parents-worry-about-who-will-care-for-their-adult-children-with-autism/ The latest news, headlines & open discussions about the Autism Spectrum Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:59:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: MaeBest http://www.theautismnews.com/2009/07/20/parents-worry-about-who-will-care-for-their-adult-children-with-autism/comment-page-1/#comment-2427 MaeBest Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:39:52 +0000 http://www.theautismnews.com/?p=4268#comment-2427 I totally understand where you are coming from. I have a 22 year old son with autism and I am so worried about what will happen when I can no longer take care of him. I can not count on family to do it. I myself have had to quit my job and stay home with him since he is too old to go to school. He has started getting aggressive with me. (For the most part he is a very sweet young man) I can no longer drive in a car with him because he has grabbed me and shook me while driving and I am scared I will have a wreck. Sometimes I just feel so helpless. There really isn't any programs out there after they graduate High School. By the way he is taking not being able to go back to school really hard. He cries and throws fits, gets angry. He gets the phone book and points at the name of his old school over and over. I feel awful for him. I know how badly he wants to go back and I can't do anything about it. Anyways just saw this site and article and thought I'd take time to vent. Totally at a loss here. I totally understand where you are coming from.
I have a 22 year old son with autism and I am so worried about what will happen when I can no longer take care of him.
I can not count on family to do it.
I myself have had to quit my job and stay home with him since he is too old to go to school.
He has started getting aggressive with me. (For the most part he is a very sweet young man)
I can no longer drive in a car with him because he has grabbed me and shook me while driving and I am scared I will have a wreck.
Sometimes I just feel so helpless.
There really isn’t any programs out there after they graduate High School.
By the way he is taking not being able to go back to school really hard.
He cries and throws fits, gets angry. He gets the phone book and points at the name of his old school over and over.
I feel awful for him. I know how badly he wants to go back and I can’t do anything about it.
Anyways just saw this site and article and thought I’d take time to vent.
Totally at a loss here.

]]> By: The Autism News http://www.theautismnews.com/2009/07/20/parents-worry-about-who-will-care-for-their-adult-children-with-autism/comment-page-1/#comment-1315 The Autism News Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:04:35 +0000 http://www.theautismnews.com/?p=4268#comment-1315 Rebecca Leachi worry now and he aint there yet Melanie Mccann same here love Lisa Sheedy Eoff my son is 17 years old and i worry all the time. Kimberly Jackson Agostino I worry and he's only 3! Mylene A Branham My son is 13,, and i have worried about this since he was diagnosed at 3y/o; everyone in my family has let me know that they WILL NOT be taking him in :( Heather Hawk As a single parent I also worry what would happen to him if something happened to me now. My family as well has said they can not handle him. Lily Montoya Wow. I can't believe how many families are so heartless. I have always worried about my son as well. But I am happy to say that I know that either my mother in law or my brother in law would take care of him ifmy husband and I would pass away. Christina Hayes if anything happens to my parents im taking my 13 year old bro on regardless Heather Hawk I don't think its heartless, just honest. They are unable to provide him the help and support he needs. I do it alone on my own without any respite, they never could Mylene A Branham I am a single parent also, no respite...no assistance except for his SSI; BUT his father couldn't handle the disabilities; so the ramifications for that for him was jail time---so i'd prefer that they NOT take him in if they have no interest in it...hopefully, some family will want to take him in...someone with patience that is "willing" to deal with the daily life...i am glad they told me up front they could not deal with it..altho i raised four of my brothers kids for almost 5 years. But it would be wonderful to have family members that would be willing to do this. Shoot, they stay as far away as they can as it is...no visits, no reprieves, no nothing...which is all well and good---we make our own choices in life and other people can/cannot deal with it...i chose to "accept" it :) He is the love of my life as well as his 22y/o brother...but his brother has had to "deal" with it since he was 9 and he is burnt out. Debbie Gies As a mom with 2 young adult sons , this is a daily concern. Since my sons father passed away in 1996, I am the only parent left to advocate for them both. It's ok while I am alive but what will happen when I die? Mon at 3:39pm · Delete Jo SouthgateMy son is 6 and I constantly worry. it scares me to even type this. Living daily with it is hard enough without the constant fears for his future sometimes I feel sick just thinking about him and his future. Karla Pollock-Smith our son is 10 and we think about it all of the time also. It is so hard to live in the moment when such big worries weigh on you daily. It is so difficult when there is no other adult who really spends time with him or who has a real relationship with except for us. Do others feel this way also? I sometimes feel like we are too picky in who we would "leave" him with...but it really is a difficult decision. Alicia M Panayotakis That is one of the biggest concerns I have. Who will take care of my son if something should happen to me or my husband? This is a parents worse nightmare, besides your child being special needs. Karrie Kingsbury This issue hits home with almost all Autistic Parents Rebecca Leachi
worry now and he aint there yet

Melanie Mccann
same here love

Lisa Sheedy Eoff
my son is 17 years old and i worry all the time.

Kimberly Jackson Agostino
I worry and he’s only 3!

Mylene A Branham
My son is 13,, and i have worried about this since he was diagnosed at 3y/o; everyone in my family has let me know that they WILL NOT be taking him in Frown

Heather Hawk
As a single parent I also worry what would happen to him if something happened to me now. My family as well has said they can not handle him.

Lily Montoya
Wow. I can’t believe how many families are so heartless. I have always worried about my son as well. But I am happy to say that I know that either my mother in law or my brother in law would take care of him ifmy husband and I would pass away.

Christina Hayes
if anything happens to my parents im taking my 13 year old bro on regardless

Heather Hawk
I don’t think its heartless, just honest. They are unable to provide him the help and support he needs. I do it alone on my own without any respite, they never could

Mylene A Branham
I am a single parent also, no respite…no assistance except for his SSI; BUT his father couldn’t handle the disabilities; so the ramifications for that for him was jail time—so i’d prefer that they NOT take him in if they have no interest in it…hopefully, some family will want to take him in…someone with patience that is “willing” to deal with the daily life…i am glad they told me up front they could not deal with it..altho i raised four of my brothers kids for almost 5 years. But it would be wonderful to have family members that would be willing to do this. Shoot, they stay as far away as they can as it is…no visits, no reprieves, no nothing…which is all well and good—we make our own choices in life and other people can/cannot deal with it…i chose to “accept” it Smile He is the love of my life as well as his 22y/o brother…but his brother has had to “deal” with it since he was 9 and he is burnt out.

Debbie Gies
As a mom with 2 young adult sons , this is a daily concern. Since my sons father passed away in 1996, I am the only parent left to advocate for them both. It’s ok while I am alive but what will happen when I die?
Mon at 3:39pm · Delete

Jo SouthgateMy son is 6 and I constantly worry. it scares me to even type this. Living daily with it is hard enough without the constant fears for his future sometimes I feel sick just thinking about him and his future.

Karla Pollock-Smith
our son is 10 and we think about it all of the time also. It is so hard to live in the moment when such big worries weigh on you daily. It is so difficult when there is no other adult who really spends time with him or who has a real relationship with except for us. Do others feel this way also? I sometimes feel like we are too picky in who we would “leave” him with…but it really is a difficult decision.

Alicia M Panayotakis
That is one of the biggest concerns I have. Who will take care of my son if something should happen to me or my husband? This is a parents worse nightmare, besides your child being special needs.

Karrie Kingsbury
This issue hits home with almost all Autistic Parents

]]> By: CarolineBell http://www.theautismnews.com/2009/07/20/parents-worry-about-who-will-care-for-their-adult-children-with-autism/comment-page-1/#comment-1268 CarolineBell Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:00:12 +0000 http://www.theautismnews.com/?p=4268#comment-1268 A very moving, poignant article. Sadly this situation is all too common. Depending on where you live, there is relatively good provision for children with autism. However, as soon as they reach adulthood they are left high and dry by the system. All too often it falls on parents to give up their jobs in order to look after their adult offspring, plunging families into financial hardship and increasing the emotional strain even further. People with autism - even the most severe combination of autism and learning disabilities - have skills of real benefit to employers. All they need is the right support. At HOPE (www.helphope.org.uk), we campaign for greater provision of social enterprises and supportive employment opportunities. Adults with autism need the opportunity to work in order to increase their self-confidence and develop their talents. 40 years ago today we put a man on the moon. It isn't rocket science to provide the right kind of employment opportunities so that adults with autism can live with dignity, support and understanding. A very moving, poignant article. Sadly this situation is all too common. Depending on where you live, there is relatively good provision for children with autism. However, as soon as they reach adulthood they are left high and dry by the system. All too often it falls on parents to give up their jobs in order to look after their adult offspring, plunging families into financial hardship and increasing the emotional strain even further.

People with autism – even the most severe combination of autism and learning disabilities – have skills of real benefit to employers. All they need is the right support. At HOPE (www.helphope.org.uk), we campaign for greater provision of social enterprises and supportive employment opportunities. Adults with autism need the opportunity to work in order to increase their self-confidence and develop their talents. 40 years ago today we put a man on the moon. It isn’t rocket science to provide the right kind of employment opportunities so that adults with autism can live with dignity, support and understanding.

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