A Generation of Autism, Coming of Age
via When Children With Autism Become Adults – NYTimes.com As the explosion of children who were found to have autism in the 1990s begins to transition from the school to the adult system, experts caution about the coming wave. “We estimate there are going to be half a million children with autism in the next 10 years who will become adults,” said Peter Bell, executive vice president for programs and services of the advocacy group Autism Speaks. Services for adults with autism exist, but unlike school services, they are not mandated, and there are fewer of them. Combined with shrinking government budgets, the challenges are daunting. “We are facing a crisis of money and work force,” said Nancy Thaler, executive director of the National Association of State Directors of Developmental Disabilities Services. “The cohort of people who will need services — including aging baby boomers — is growing much faster than the cohort of working-age adults that provide care.” To help parents navigate this difficult journey, in January Autism Speaks introduced a free Transition Tool …