The challenges faced by adults with autism while living independently are multifaceted; these include unemployment, education, communication, social interactions and repetitive behaviours. According to Beyond autism an organisation that empowers young adults to access education, independence and opportunities; there are over 700 000 people with autism in UK, only 21% are in employment; making it the lowest rate of employment for people with disabilities. About £32 billion is spent annually in care to support people who have autism. Some people who have autism are provided with supported living facilities such as living in a flat or shared communal spaces. The people are then supported with personal care needs, finance management and education support. Some people can be offered stepping stone accommodation which is more like a transitional setting in preparation for independent living. Other people can be provided with residential care where they get accommodation, activities and care support.
The UK has been in daunted by scandals such as the Winterbourne View and Whorlton Hall and the emergence of other cases of abuse on people with autism. The UK government has been blamed in some instances for being slow and in ensuring culture shifts in placing disabled people at the centre of improvements to tackle abuse in institutions. It has also been suggested that person centred care is dead for people who have autism. The CQC view person centred care as part of ‘shaping the future’ strategy where services are harnessing technology to deliver more person centred care. The approaches of person centred care are to;
empower, allow inclusion, dignity, love, self-determination and assist people to be in control of their lives. It is possible that cultural history associates people with autism as objects of disgust or being fearful , hatred, hate crime, stigma, stereotyping, systematic abuse and sub human treatment. It is not possible for person centred care to be effective on people with autism if they are not treated as humans in the first place. It can be argued that person-centred approaches corresponds with how people view themselves not how they should be viewed by healthcare workers. This approach may be more inclusive and empowering. The ideology of person centred care should be driven by the people who have autism and who are able to challenge institutional misconceptions on what autism means. The values, ambitions of people with autism need to be the power set by them and not through institutional ideologies.
People with autism can be assisted through meaningful and creative autism learning opportunities. Employers should create suitable environments for people with autism to work and should be supported to become confident. They need to be assisted with life skills that can help them a happy fulfilling life. Some of the skills are detailed below.
- Communication- Communication skills, social skills and behavioural challenges.
- Social skills- Community participation, emotional control, managing conflicts, flexibility in thinking , confidence in talking. Social skills enables people with autism to have their needs met as well as building coping strategies.
- Occupational therapy- People with autism can learn skills such as job seeking skills and this will enable them to prepare for meaningful work.
- Problem solving- People with autism require problem solving skills so that they can speak up with confidence and know their rights. Other skills include self-regulation, reasoning, working memory, attention and flexibility.
- Self-advocacy- Children with autism should be taught on how their needs can be met. They should be encouraged to identify their needs and how their needs can be effectively met.
- Executive functions- They should be able to make decisions, flexible thinking, space managements, being organised, time conscious and be able to make their house/flat clean and comfortable.
- Daily living activities- Daily living tasks such as money handling, shopping, paying bills, managing bank accounts and also leisure skills are vital towards independent living.
- Emotional management- Being able to manage anxiety, low mood and developing life skills
- Attention- People should be taught skills that enable them to focus at tasks at hand and be able to recall information from working memory such as planning, working memory, attention, problem solving, verbal reasoning, cognitive flexibility and inhibition.
- Planning- People with autism should be supported with planning so that they can be able to set goals, make decisions and establish course of action.
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