Susan Senator - Autism Adulthood: Insights and Creative Strategies for a Fulfilling Life

Advance Praise for Autism Adulthood

There is a huge need for books to help individuals with autism make the transition to adulthood. I highly recommend Autism Adulthood for parents and teachers who are guiding individuals in the middle range within the broad autism spectrum. Temple Grandin, author of The Autistic Brain and Thinking in Pictures

In this book, like her others, the wonderful Susan Senator gives voice to those who are too often voicelessfolks with ASD who seek what they deservelives of purpose and possibilities. Ron Suskind, Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist and bestselling author of Life Animated: A Story of Sidekicks, Heroes, and Autism

In her frank and deeply touching new book, Autism Adulthood , Susan Senator shares the intimate details of her journey with her son, Nat, as he takes his first steps toward maturity in a society that offers few resources for people on the spectrum after they age out of the meager level of services provided to school-age children. She faces the big issueshousing, employment, relationships with siblings, finding trustworthy caregivershead-on, and offers practical strategies for giving young autistic people the best chance to lead happy, safe, and secure lives, mapping a pathway to the future that offers autistic people and their families real hope, rather than false hopes built on misguided promises of a cure. By doing so she offers a blueprint for a world in which people at every point on the spectrum are treated as fellow citizens who deserve respect and the ability to make choices, rather than as puzzles to be solved by the next medical breakthrough. Steve Silberman, author of NeuroTribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity

From the introduction, Autism Adulthood: Strategies and Insights for a Fulfilling Life will bring you to that dark place parents of young adults with autism fear. But just as quickly, Susan offers practical advice through storytelling and concise, how-to strategies that will leave you feeling optimistic, hopeful, and back in controlall any of us can ask for. A thoroughly readable and important book.

Arthur Fleischmann, author of Carlys Voice: Breaking Through Autism

Autism Adulthood is a book I will be recommending to every autism parent I know. Senator is as warm as she is wise, as thoughtful as she is knowledgeable, as compassionate as she is informative. Her rallying cry of, All we can do is love each other, will resound in any parents heart. Senator loves fiercelywhich means she does everything she can to ensure the best life and future for her adult child with autism. This book will inspire the rest of us to do the same for ours. Claire LaZebnik, coauthor of Overcoming Autism , with Dr. Lynn Kern Koegel

Susans book is a must-read not only for autism parents but for disability parents in general. Laura Shumaker, author of A Regular Guy: Growing Up with Autism and writer for the San Francisco Chronicle

Also by Susan Senator

Making Peace with Autism

An Autism Moms Survival Guide

Second Edition Copyright 2018 by Susan Senator

Foreword copyright 2016 by John Elder Robison

First Edition published by Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

New edition Print ISBN: 978-151073-271-1

New edition Ebook ISBN: 978-151073-273-5

Printed in the United States of America

Dedicated to

Ned, Nat, Max, and Ben

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A LL OF US NEED others to show us the way. And so I need to acknowledge my others, those autistic adults who helped me understand, to the degree that I could, what their lives are like. First of all, Nat. I hope he knows how much he has taught me about life, love, and autism. I have told him again and again that I write about him and that he helps others by letting me use his story. I tell him: I write about you because you have autism, and people want to know about that. And because you do such a good job at home, and at work, helping out. Hes on the forefront of developmentally delayed autistics who are making their way in the world.

I also want to thank the autistic activists and bloggers, some of whom I connected with online: Camille, who runs the Autism Diva ; Prometheus, who runs A Photon in the Darkness . There are also the autistic self-advocates Ive met at Autistic Self-Advocacy Network meetings and parties: Ivan, Ari, Lydia, Kate, and Michael, all of whom taught me that there is no such thing as high-functioning autism, in that verbal or nonverbal speech is never an indicator of the intensity of ones challenges.

Also thank you to the community of autism writers, bloggers, and thinkers who have inspired me: Jess Wilson, Steve Silberman, Temple Grandin, Sean and Judy Barron, and to the families who gave me insight and told me their stories.

I have to honor my four gurus in autism adulthood services: Jeff Keilson, Mike Weiner, Elizabeth Sternberg, and Cathy Boyle. I know what I know because of you guys.

A shout-out to my community at Peets Coffee Shop, who kept me company and full of coffee: Dave, Paul, Tim, and Marty. Deep appreciation to Emily Miles Terry, my writing buddy and longtime friend. So much gratitude to my publisher, Tony Lyons at Skyhorse; my editor, Lilly Golden; and my tough and dedicated agent, Diane Gedymin, who is like family to me. And finally, thank you to my family: Mom, Dad, Laura, and especially Nat, Max, and Ben, and to Ned, who is my soul mate, great love, and husband. I couldnt do it without all of you.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

by John Elder Robison, author of Look Me in the Eye

E VERY AUTISM PARENT I know has fantasized about the day their child grows up to be a software designer, or some other quirky independent professional. As parents and children grow older, the dream often changes to hoping the child can be independent. Finally, there is acceptance and the desire mainly for the child to be happy. We all want to be independent and do things for ourselves. But it does not always work out that way, particularly in our high-tech society. Its very hard for people with limited verbal skills to achieve independence in modern America. In years past, a nonspeaking person could work with plants or animals, and be a contributing member of society without much language. Few such opportunities remain today. The job prospects for nonspeaking adults are very limited, but they are improving.