Young Adults With Autism May Be More Likely to Succeed if Parents Have High Expectations

When parents of autistic teens have high expectations, they are more likely to have the skills they need to live independently, reports a study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. The transition to adulthood can be difficult for people with autism. Suddenly, subsidized educational and social supports disappear, and they and their families are left on their own. “Many describe that period as ‘falling off a cliff’,” says Anne Kirby, Ph.D, assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of Utah. She explains her search for factors that predict who will succeed on their own as adults, and how parents’ expectations might influence their child’s outcomes.