Caregivers worry: Will rise in adults with autism swamp system?
Monday, June 29th, 2009From the Sacramento Bee:
Parents and disability advocates say they’re worried about the tidal wave of young people with autism who are moving toward adulthood in a society unprepared to meet their needs.
Nationally, it is estimated that some 380,000 people will need extensive adult autism services by 2023, and the pricetag for their care will be in the billions of dollars.
“The financial impact will be huge,” said Dr. Robert Hendren, director of the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute. “Many, many people will be living impaired lives, and where are they going to go? Who will take care of them? The challenge will fall largely to family members. As those parents age, they are asking, ‘Who is going to take care of my autistic child after I am gone?’”
See also: Book review of ‘Boy Alone’, by Karl Taro Greenfeld — Paul Collins in the [Portland] Oregonian. An excerpt:
Society makes some strange demands upon autism. We expect a cure: something you rarely hear mentioned next to conditions like Down syndrome or retardation. For them, a sensible emphasis has been placed upon prevention in the future, and respite and amelioration in the present. (more…)


The tragic double suicide of a British couple after the death of their disabled son has sparked a passionate national discussion about the availability of supports for the more than six million people in the UK who provide informal or unpaid care for relatives and friends.