The Housing Needs of Adults with Autism 

For anyone wondering I’m autistic and I am very independent. We are not burdens we are people we can work, we can be in love, we can make friends, and we can keep friends. It’s not a curse.

I have autism. I’m not non-verbal all the time other than when I’m anxious. I don’t hit people unless they try to restrain me. I can make eye contact that looks normal to others. But just because I can do things for myself and don’t need masses of help, doesn’t mean that being autistic doesn’t affect me.

It doesn't need to be cured. It needs to be understood.

I'm Autistic and I'm very independent. I learn how to drive and cook myself meals.

I'm high-functioning (formerly called Asperger's), and I've been able to provide for myself--although I don't have much saved up for the future. I live alone, I'm gay, and I live in the south. I'm 50 now, and my Dad died last month. I'm as disoriented as I am depressed, and I'm having trouble planning and making any kind of decisions. My house is a mess, but I'm working on it. I'm not a hoarder, I just can't decide where things go lately.

It made me sick hearing about the benefits for SOCIETY to help these people. Like they're not people and just burdens. I'm beginning to see why so many people hate Autism Speaks.

People with Autism don’t need to be cured just understood!

"Just give us a chance, and we could change the world..." Seriously though, I'm autistic and this video makes me feel better to know I'm not alone in the world of Autism...

I’ve got Asperges and ADHD and have been living alone since age 17

I can tell as an autistic person that these people were very uncomfortable making this video and I can only imagine how annoying and overbearing the twonks that made this video were. I'm sure half of what they were saying they were told to say and that it was edited to portray and horrific view of autism. I'm 18 and I have struggled but I have managed to deal with things I never thought possible this is not because I've had some cure it was because I've been surrounded by good people who have helped me but at the same time never spoken down to me or treated me like I'm younger than I am. When ever crappy teachers at school treated me like I'm some sort of vegetable I always just felt angry and reluctant to learn. I see the same pain I felt in school in these children they're being held back babied by they're parents and this organisation and I know how infuriating it is. This needs to be stopped I'm sure alot of autistic people could be much better helped by being treated like anyone else and dealing with struggles and difficulties as they come not to make them less autistic but just to make them the best dam autistic person they can be

Autism does not need to be cured, just accepted and given the resources they deserve. Neurodivergent isn’t wrong if God made them that way!

I'm high end Autistic we can do anything we set are mind to. I'm a Author and people think people with Autism can't do anything. So you see we can learn things I was leaving with my dad then I got married but when they both die my cousin took me in. I volunteer at my church food bank and at my cousin shop. Just give anybody with a disability a chance.

I'm 64. There wasnt a term for someone like me. To this day, if you raise your voice for ANYTHING, you've lost me. I was very motivated to work, money was my ticket to independence. But if I got abuse from a boss, and i decided it wasnt worth it, I was late for the door. Commercial driving was something I could get along with long term. It lasted 32 years. I'm retired now. My willingness to take crap was directly proportionate to my compensation. Yes, I CAN be bribed into masking as normie for awhile. But not forever. I always have the end game in my sight. And I'm going to reach my goal, ANY goal.

There's a tremendous disconnect in the autism community to face the realities of what type of housing would benefit people who have autism and epilepsy. The homes who take autistic people with challenging behaviors won't take an autistic person who needs nursing services. The homes that have nursing care aren't equipped or trained to deal with behavioral issues. They rely on over medicating autistic adults. Thus, we need to come up with models that are able to provide both behavioral and medical support and services.

They didn't know shit about autism back in those days.

I have an autism and this really breaks my heart because I was never able to get a job or live on my own independently because I have too many limitations as an autistic adult. I did try to find a job right after graduating from college and getting help from my mom, my friends, etc. but I could never get a job because of my limitations plus I would be discriminated in the workplace. What makes me jealous is how other autistic adults can still get a job, live on their own independently, or be bright but not me. Luckily, I will be living with my parents until they pass away and go to heaven and once that happens, I will be living in a facility home where I'm taken care of just like how my parents took care of me.

I'm autistic and high functioning without any kind of safety net of family or support and I had a very traumatic upbringing that really never stopped and now I'm not able to keep a job or not rage when I'm upset and I'm stuck. Thank goodness for social security or I would have to be desperate. This pandemic and the economy and all the other things really kick those like me who are already down

I don't have autism but care for those who do and I'd just like to say one thing....can people PLEASE stop praying for a "cure"...I understand that living with autism can be very challenging and living in a strange world very stress, but from my experience autism is NOT an illness or a disease so, therefore, CANNOT be cured!....thank you :)

My Daughter is on the spectrum. She is almost six and is getting so much better with her speech and communication! I love her so much

When the preschool teachers called me in for a meeting to tell me they suspected my son was autistic...they acted like they were about to tell me my dog died! I was like, "Yeah, I know. We've known since he was a baby. It's just part of who he is." They looked so RELIEVED, and actually offered me a job working at the preschool with "difficult" kids!

We aren't broken or damaged, just different.

I don’t need to live in a group home I’m going to live on my own

I have both ADHD and Autism.

Im autism adult, I dont want a cure, I want to have place to live thats not draining on my autism and have supports that can make that happen. Housing is huge crisis and even shopping with way society is now. I want abuse to stop.

I have autism and anxiety but a lot of people have been trying to work and now I am here to try and break it and I'm going to college when I'm 19 and I'm leaving

I have it. Not a fun life. Hope some people help these kids! Accept them and be patient with them!!

We don't need a cure for autism. We need a cure for the blindness of those around. We speak a lot more than it may look like...we just don't always use words. We are people who are normal yet different from the mold. That does not make us broken or weird or anything like that. It only makes us slightly different types of human. Our brains are fine, the chemistry just works differently. We may have difficulty talking and interacting with the everyday person but we are still communicating. We speak in different language and we just want to be able to achieve without being judged or insulted because we can't deal with the alarm on the staff door, the horrible touch of a uniform or work shoes, the exhausting brightness of the lights, the amount of people that we are forced to interact with that just don't treat you as a human etc. We are very capable if in the right environment and it's not like we can't deal with stuff regular people deal with. We are all different from each other. Like all the neurotypical people, we are different and the same. We are all human. And we are not broken products, defects. We are how we are supposed to be.

I'm High functioning ASD with ADHD both types, I'm still at home at age 43 to talk or look at me you would think I was totally neurotypical, I feel totally un-represented/miss-represented after viewing your video.

I am an adult with autism and I am one of those individuals who don't like at all being in a social setting. The only reason I even tolerate being among other people is because it is a necessity and not a want. Autism Speaks needs to realize that there is no generalization when it comes to autistic people. Its like your fingerprints, no one else has the same markings but they are similar and everyone has them. I am glad that people out there are beginning to pay attention more than they did ten years ago because maybe I'll finally have a chance even though I am 26 and 10 months old with only a high school diploma. Though that no longer matters anymore in todays world. Its speed and if you don't have it, your useless to a company that requires it. An example would be not being able to adapt fast enough in a situation or respond right after someone speaks to you when you are still processing their words.

the autistic boy also had a learning disability, I am autistic yet I could easily get a job.

I HAVE AUTISM AND ACT NORMAL...I LIFT WEIGHTS..EXERCISE..GET MY CHECK..WALK...HAVE A GIRLFRIEND WHO IS BIPOLAR SO WE GET ALONG PERFECTLY

Every body autism situation is different so you can’t really compare people conditions to each other and I was told as a autism person that I would never be able to hold down a job now I’m 23 and I have a full time job and I’m working my own department and someday I will become a manager

Does anyone here find it more challenging to deal with apartment living? Even though I am thankful to have a home, I have zero privacy, because I don't even have a private deck. My condo style apartment only has a front step to sit on, right where the main sidewalk is; with no space between my step and the sidewalk, and everyone's front doors are about 4 meters apart. So if you aren't feeling particularly social, with random strangers walking by and making small talk, you won't want to sit outside at all at MY condo. Plus, if you get loud neighbors living above you, that can be worse than the lack of privacy. And neighbors are even brazen enough to watch you from across the road, if you forget to close your blinds.

Autistic people like me don't need a cure we people to understand us.

“All we want is a chance. Give us that, and we will make you proud.” Deep shit

As a single parent of a 15 year old who I'm having a heart to heart with as this film plays. This is merely talk. So much federal, state, and donations have been given to Autism Speaks. I have not benefited nor any other family member. What I can say if they fund organizations such as Disability Rights. They turn us down twice. First time they only provided technical assistance. This equates to just merely telling us what to do. In the end, my son lost his documented transportation because the school district's policy for open enrollment ( parental choice to where their child attend public school) dictated the parent is responsible for transportation, but Federal policy dictates an additional service of support has to be honored. Who am I at this moment in my life. A single parent of a child who only ended up in open enrollment because his aid harmed him. Despite reporting my concerns to the school social worker, psychologist, and the principal. I was ignored. Now me and by God's Grace single handedly home school my son and do my best to educate him in an alternative learning style. Autism to me embodies a host of issues for the person with the diagnosis. It's not simply they learn differently. How do they learn differently. what can we do to encourage learning. I recalled something as a new parent, my primary care doctor shared with me; "By some cd's and play them in the car when you are out. Let him view educational programming. I had strangers commenting how polite my child was. My ex-husband/my son's father had him spelling his last name just by repeating the spelling allowed S-M-I-T-H, S-M-I-T-H, S-M-I-T-H, S-M-I-T-H, and S-M-I-T-H. Over and over throughout the day. A brick or mortar setting as the style of education is to lecture the student on any given subject. For a child with Autism, they fidget, become irritated. Lose entrance when it's not about them. They are suppose to have aids to redirect them. Unfortunately the aids become frustrated, and do suttle things to harm the child. I have two distinct memories first, my son sustains a knot to his fore head the size of a golf ball. Secondly he complains the aid pull him down the stairs. I had to figure out what he meant. My discernment kicked in, he pulled him down the stairs. Well he walked him down the stairs on the way to take him to his school bus (stay with me, he still had transportation at this point.) The aid rush him down the stairs, therefore pulling him down the stairs as he explained. I have stories of in school suspension, one day physically suspended, and can not come to school. His 7th grade special education teacher is fired from homeschool K12 for creating a racial post that one of the parents, obviously friends with her on her social media...It goes on and on. I'm not bitter. I have learn to forgive, but I never forget. I just pray God bless me and my son to connect with individuals who mean him well.

What exactly needs "curing" here? Picky eating? Being sensitive to bright lights and loud noises? Not understanding sarcasm? What exactly is SO different/bad about autistic people that the world seems to think they need cured of being themselves???

These are housing needs for adults with moderate to severe autism. I’m on the milder end of the spectrum and I have the same needs and level of independence as someone who is nuerotypical

I only want to do one thing with the rest of my life which is open a residential autism program as the program manager. I have some ideas about what a program manager has to do to run a program that is therapeutic, but especially ensures maximal safety and dignity for those who might be very limited with expressive communication. Its a conceptual approach that can be applied to any agency's program and protocols. Its all I want to do.

Less interviews with the parents/"experts", and MORE interviews with the actual autistic people please

Best way to create divisions between peoples is charity, mere fact of saying we need help lowers our status, like racism separating people of colors, creating more victims needing more government subsidies, monitoring them at others expense! I am Autistic but please include me not "institutionalize" me ~~

I was formally diagnosed with Autism and schizophrenia last year, and there is no housing options for me. My doctor said I need a place of my own in a rural area away from other people. My disability isn’t enough to afford anything but a storage building, and if I bought it I don’t have anyplace to put it. It didn’t do any good to ask for help, because there isn’t any help for adults with Autism.

I agree that society does struggle to support the housing needs of neurodivergent people who don't have the privilege of being 100% independent. It's a pretty relevant issue not often discussed.

I have high functioning autism and I still was treated like all the other special kids… it tore me apart from that…

If anyone has autism, do you think you will accept someone who has a learning disability sucn as having difficult time to learn anything such as cooking, doing construction, etc. and short term memory?

This is me Luckily I do have a job cause my employer works with autism But it's hard And I do feel alone and empty in this world Wish I had had more support

As someone with autism, asberger syndrome, auditory processing disorder, I am still doing my best in life. God be with these special folks and help them. We are trying to fit in this world. We want to help. And the goals I have now I want to accomplish on my own.

I've never had a job either lol

Adult with autism leaving with aspergers by myself, because my father passed away. It's hard af and no I don't do a good job at life. I don't belong, thank God I'm certified disabled or else I would definitely be dead or homeless.

My therapist talk about Autism being a gift, but you guys talk about it being cured. You coached these poor kids to say what you want them to say. This is why I dislike this organization so much, as an Autistic adult.

My son was shaken when he was 3 months old and is 18 years old and on the spectrum. He is getting so hard to control. It’s just me and him and I have no help!!! God help us!!!

It needs to be cured , as a new I’m scared angry & sad not for me but for my son , I want it to be cured :

i have autistic son he is verbal...but i am totally terrified of what will happen to him when i am gone....i want to make sure he ends up at a good place..it think he will always need a little help....

I don’t mean to be rude, but why can’t people understand that there’s no cure for autism

My young cousin has severe autism and I don't know what he is going to do in future especially because we live in India

I’m 14 my brother is officially an adult 18, what should I do in the future if my parents pass on or something happens. I don’t want him with other untrusted ppl and the rest of my family don’t exactly live with an autistic being daily.

Praying for them

My friend Abbas Safideen has a son with autism too. I am sure he will be facing this same issue when the school bus stops coming for his son. Please help my dear friend Abbas.

Government isn't taking care of those that it should? Government paying themselves as much as they want for no reason? Overthrow them. Like now... make Loki king

There are tons of jobs that anyone can do, people may not be aware of them. Harvesting fruits and vegetables is a good healthy activity but it is usually outsourced.

I'm an autistic adult. And I don't matter my life doesn't matter. I am unlovable unwanted and uneeded. I have no place in the world. I've tried and tried to reach out for help and noone cares to help me. So I think more and more the only option for me is to end my life. I have noone I can seek help from. I won't be missed by anyone I have no friends or family.

I’m autistic myself, I don’t remember when I was diagnosed with autism but I’m autistic

I’m 13 right now and I have high functioning autism. When I turn 18 I’m breaking off and getting out, I’m getting a part time job next school year, I’m gonna save up all my money and get a bus ticket at 18 to Las Vegas. I’ll go to state college maybe, or I’ll just start working. I know I want to be a truck driver because I like being in cars and I want to be able to explore the country, yet still not have to pack things up and to still have a nice home with land to come back to (I’ll probably to long distance when I’m young and maybe when o turn 30 start only doing local jobs cause I’ll have a wife and kids and a good peice of land to take care of if I’m lucky) I don’t want ANY support or help or nothing. I want to figure it all out on my own and shit; if it becomes to much I can move to my moms farm in Kentucky, buy a trailer and take care of it when she’s not there and also get a job driving trucks, but I still don’t want no help and support and special attention; I want to do it on my own and figure it out as I go. Not all autistic people need, or want help and support and special attention; a lot just want to live normal lives and be on their own even if it’s hard to manage and they don’t have the best livelyhood, or the healthiest diet or the cleanest house or the most stable personal life they don’t mind as long as their on there own and that’s great. You know sure, there are autistic people that can’t manage themselves alone as well as neurotyocial people can but if they want to go off on their own we should respect that, cause small things like: they live off junk food, or there house is kinda dirty or they don’t really know everything about being a homeowner and stuff like that as long as their not dying or in debt or in a hoarder situation isn’t the parents, former guardians or governments problem unless they want help, we shouldn’t push the idea that all autistic people who can’t completely function %100 percent in their own need special help. Young adults aren’t responsible or great, but they figure that out and even though autistic adults might have that problem in more extremity parents still shouldn’t push their help on their adult kids.

My oldest brother has autism but I have 3 other brothers and we will last long with him quite well

I have got aspergers confirmed so im doing a little research on other forms of autism.

The solution from the social model of disability is not to fix the autistic individual but rather their surroundings and community.

I have asd. And hate this company. There ableist.

I have autism and mental health problems,and live alone and have a job.

How do get involved?

I Retired From Day Program At The Age Of 32 Since I Been On The Waiting List For Retirement Before I Announce My Retirement Because Of Transitions

I'm one day gonna get my own and prove my mum wrong that I can do it, she doesn't believe in me at all thats sad

I have pdd nos which is under the autism spectrum umbrella

I don't want a cure for Autism. As soon as I heard one of the young said he wanted to be cured, my jaw dropped.

These are the types of news stories we need more of to help spread awareness, not BS fear mongering. Good for all these people and I wish them the best in the future!

No autistic person is going to say “we don’t know anything about autism- I want autism to be cured” absolutely repulsive. Does a fish mind when it rains? NO BECAUSE THEY DONT KNOW ANY DIFFERENT.

how about justpeople in georgia. Wonderful day program. You live in your own apartment with the works.

Ok that's great we all agree there is a need for services and housing and so what are the options????

Umm... Everyone knows Autism Speaks Is Horrible right?

Why can't American journalists mic up a person without it being distorted? Such a common thing I see from American media. The piece is terrifying by the way. I'm an autistic adult and I wouldn't cope without certain people but I know they might not always be there. I'll probably end up killing myself if left completely alone.

Take a shot everytime you spot the generic blue puzzle piece...

Reminds me of Magneto: “they want to give you the cure!”

Hope village in Friendwood tx is a amazing place to go they day program

Yes

Hope village is a safe place for adults with special needs and rare diseases

i have autism i need help!! i just wish i can be more independent and have more options to live here in nj.while im still happy and feeling good!! CAN SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!!

Dude I’m almost 20 now and I’m about to live alone with my eldest sister

Steve kidd sounds like Jeff Stacy

That one guy mentioned he wants it to be cured when there is no cure.

Please help these beautiful young men and women. Please.

Autism speaks is a four letter word to autistic people. Check out why on the internet.

My brother doesnt know how to cook hes 22 with autism has a 2nd grade level education and his school graduated him at 21

Autism (or 欧地深) 自闭症 can have particular talent.

going to be homeless soon cause my adhd is causing me conflict with parents so hope i can get housing

I am high functioning autistic and what people fail to realize is I don't need a group home I need my own apartment it's just that I cannot afford one I am getting a Section 8 voucher but a lot of places don't take Section 8 and people like myself have to be forced to live in either group homes or live in the streets or live with an abusive situation quite honestly I think rent vouchers people like myself and all apartments should have it be mandatory to take them the other thing is people have got to realize that just because I'm high functioning does not mean of the good doctor I can work 40 hours a week but we have right-wing gopers in Congress that seem to think that it's not fair and I think we need a new way of thinking for people like myself I quite honestly I think they may go a little to the extreme that the UN needs to make the way countries treat us a human right and sanctions held against countries that treat us like animals that is my opinion

I'm undiagnosed but I'm pretty sure I have autism. I've not been able to find a job and I'm about to be homeless. If anyone in KY knows where I can get some help, please lmk

How can people give this a thumbs down,

I have sensory integration disorder which I believe is on the spectrum.

you live in their world. not make them live in ours

magnetic e resonance therapy

I have high functioning it not a bad thing