A common misunderstanding about autism, Rachel Leonard said, is that it's a childhood disorder. 'For some reason, people forget that we live with this for the rest of our lives.'
But when they switched up the order — say, bank, then store, then gas station — Leonard felt panic set in.When a psychologist told Leonard's parents that she most likely had "level 1 autism," meltdowns like that made more sense.
"What can I feel? What can I see? What can I smell? What can I hear?" she asks herself. By bringing her attention to her physical surroundings, Leonard can ground herself back in reality. Although autism continues into adulthood, many of the supports available to the autistic population do not. In fact, the drop-off of resources that occurs when autistic individuals turn 22 is referred to in the professional world as the "services cliff."
Even autistic adults who are more independent often have trouble accessing services to help them navigate the challenges of adulthood. Many autistic adults struggle to find housing, according to Carlson, and around 85% are either unemployed or underemployed. UVU also offers a three-year postsecondary education program called Wolverines Elevated that helps adults with intellectual disabilities find jobs in the community and live independently. Fish Vosnos, a 23-year-old Wolverines Elevated student, has been able to work through the anxiety of student life with the program's one-on-one support.
"I think a lot of the world around us is made by and for neurotypical people," Buerger said. "And I think what neurotypical people can do better is they can generally feel confident that their perception of the social norms around them matches everyone else's. But for autistic people, it doesn't work that way."
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