ASPIRATIONS: Parenting Newsletter 1

Linda lives with her adult son with ASD in Pennsylvania, USA. She has a blog, is an author, and works with at-risk students in college and in high school. Linda got in touch recently about the possibility of joining our team, and with her experiences and writing skills I leapt at it. In her articles she’ll be offering her ideas on how to support your son or daughter with Asperger’s as an adult.-Dave Angel

ADULTS ON THE SPECTRUM

By Linda Cobourn, EdD

I sat in the sea-foam green waiting room, at least 1 ½ hours of forced inactivity looming ahead of me. I hadn't expected that the first appointment with the psychologist from Occupational Vocational Rehabilitation would be so long. Now I waited for my son, who sat with Dr. Puelo on the other side of the door.

I thought of Allen and the years of struggling at school and being bullied, of his quirks and his ideas and his spirit. It had taken four months for us to get to this appointment.  I hoped that OVR would be able to help Allen, 23 years old, with job training and mentoring. Immersed in my thoughts, I remembered a book I’d read about a slightly quirky protagonist who was socially awkward, liked to solve puzzles, and was unsettled by crowds and loud noises. Someone just like Allen who claims the noises from a turned off television bother his ears and who draws intricate mazes on kitchen napkins. The jigsaw of my son suddenly made sense.  I knew what Dr. Puelo was finding out. I knew what I had always known but had never put a name to.

Asperger’s Syndrome. 

Allen is not alone in  his adult diagnosis. According to Advancing Futures for Adults with Autism (2017), 1.5 million people in the United States are on the spectrum, but only 10% of the resources are given to help for adults. That leaves those of us who parent ASD young adults  to find our own methods and resources.

And we do. Websites like AutismSpeaks.org provide links to helpful research and resources.  The Interactive Autism Community site provides tips from getting a driver’s license to deciding when to disclose a diagnosis to an employer. On-line forums and groups help us deflect the sense of isolation. 

Allen’s diagnosis was four years ago. In that time I have discovered the most important tool in aiding my son to live an adult life: me. In the coming issues of this newsletter, I’ll share with you some of the ways I have helped Allen to find a therapist, graduate college, get and keep a job, and adjust to life as an “Aspie.”

Linda Cobourn is an education specialist in the United States. You can follow her blog and find her  books at Linda.cobourn.com.

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