ASDs support in your home country

[Geordie]

In your home country, how is the level of support of ASDs like? Will the ASDs be assured of at least some level of living assistance or support? Just curious

 

[Kempy]

I live in Essex in the south of England. There are actually quite a few local support groups which it has been recommended I attend. Still, nobody seems to know what it is, not even the teachers. They just know what they have seen in the media. At least the support groups are run by people with Autism.

 

[Geordie]

I live in Essex in the south of England. There are actually quite a few local support groups which it has been recommended I attend. Still, nobody seems to know what it is, not even the teachers. They just know what they have seen in the media. At least the support groups are run by people with Autism.

The place I live (Singapore, somewhere in Asia, go Google where it is) has a lively online-based support groups run by ASDs --- and we are proud that it's 'for the ASDs, by the ASDs'. Good

 

[Kempy]

It's okay, I know where it is, I've been there and spent 3 days at the Mirimar Hotel on the way back from Australia. I believe we still have the shampoo!

 

[Geordie]

That's cool to hear --- I hope to visit Europe (definitely will visit Essex/London) and bring something cool home too.

 

[IContainMultitudes]

Aside from some scattered support groups, ASD assistance/support in the United States seems to be pretty much nonexistent. I think that in most cases, Aspies/higher functioning AS people aren't considered "disabled" enough to get much in the way of assistance (the agency I've been dealing with to try to find a job doesn't seem to take Asperger's very seriously). Is that really the case, or have I just not investigated this enough? Does it make a difference if you live in a bigger city? Based on the limited research I've done, it seems like you might be able to get slightly better support in a bigger city.

 

[Geordie]

Aside from some scattered support groups, ASD assistance/support in the United States seems to be pretty much nonexistent.

I think that in most cases, Aspies/higher functioning AS people aren't considered "disabled" enough to get much in the way of assistance (the agency I've been dealing with to try to find a job doesn't seem to take Asperger's very seriously). Is that really the case, or have I just not investigated this enough? Does it make a difference if you live in a bigger city? Based on the limited research I've done, it seems like you might be able to get slightly better support in a bigger city.

I live in a city of 5 million people, and the support I have been given as an 'Aspie' adult (pending diagnosis, it's darn slow) has been scant, at best. We are more interested in grumbling and blaming everybody and everything for our misfortunes.

Be the change that we want to see? Tried to change things but was given a list of why things don't work, that stalls things and frustrates me. It's not a support group, it's yet another bureaucracy...

 

[epath13]

Aside from some scattered support groups, ASD assistance/support in the United States seems to be pretty much nonexistent .

It's not nonexistent it's just very well hidden I think having kids on the spectrum does make it easier to find support places.
One of the reason why it's so hard to find support is because people in organizations and schools are not appropriately trained to help people on the spectrum. Even in medical centers not all people know what Autism is, imagine that I went to a doctor once to see a doctor and mentioned Aspergers in my medical form. Nurse asked me what it was because she didn't know I find it surprising considering how many people get diagnosed nowadays.

 

[Geordie]

Self-diagnosis is just a brief look of DSM-IV away...

 

[Occasional_Demon]

In Australia, generally there seems to be good support for people with ASD, if you qualify.

I find that Autism organisations, at least in my state, tends to have a very heavy focus on children. Most of the services offered are for children, and I guess fair enough, early intervention can be really helpful.

I've found that Autism organisations are only really in adults if they are low-functioning to the point where they need to live in supervised groups/need a constant carer/otherwise cannot live independently and can only be employed in sheltered workshops, IF that's possible. Otherwise, they don't want to know who you are and you are basically on your own. I guess that they have to prioritise limited resources but it felt like I was being judged based upon how "autistic" I appeared.

 

[Geordie]

Then what about support for high-functioning autistic people?

 

[WildCat]

We do have support, but (especially here in Texas) it's tailored towards more severely affected individuals and usually lumped in together with the rest of the services for the developmentally disabled. The waiting lists aren't exactly great, either, but then again that seems to be the pattern with public support these days. Put it this way: I'd rather apply for the "school of hard knocks" than trust any ******** support offered by my state. Not only that, I'm pretty much qualified to live by myself without the in-your-face support, drive a vehicle and work at least a full-time minimum wage job (which I pretty much do, with benefits now), and any help I do need I can just fall back on family and friends for.

Higher functioning or less afflicted people like myself would probably benifit more from attending group sessions with like-minded people anyways IMO, since many of us seem to have at least a basic grasp, if not more, on what's expected of us by society. I'm not bigoted towards the developmentally disabled in any way, but I'd honestly go crazy if I were forced to live in a stereotypical supervised group home scenario.

 

[Geordie]

Jonathan, you're not alone, Singapore is trending towards the direction in your home state.

Help by the government may not be effective for most of us.

 

[Occasional_Demon]

That's the thing though - IMO there isn't much help for people who are deemed "high functioning", if at all.

Even if said person deemed "high functioning" does need assistance in some areas of their lives.

I understand prioritising those with greater needs first, but IMO it's easy to fall through the cracks. Personally, I find that there are times when people either discount my difficulties outright or downplay them because I present as "high functioning". Which I find frustrating, because I'm not being heard.

 

[Geordie]

You're not heard, so do many of us...