Forum to focus on adults with autism

After focusing on children with autism for several years, concerned parents want to bring to light the issues of adults with autism.

On World Autism Awareness Day on March 28, Forum For Autism, a parent support network, will take up projects like setting up a counselling cell for adults with autism and their families, respite care for family members, and training of staff at vocational centres based on the needs of adults.

FFA trustee Chitra Iyersaid, “We have worked for nearly two decades getting services for children. But once they become adults, their needs are different. There is no proper understanding and training to handle adults with autism.”

When FFA was started, most founder members had young children with autism, who are now adults. The forum’s president, Parul Kumtha said, “FFA has moved forward along with our children — from getting our children entry into special schools, which were not open to children with autism, to getting them through all streams in SSC and HSC examinations. Now that our children have grown up, we realise the need to create facilities that will suit them as adults.”

She said there are several vocational centres, but they cater to adults with all kinds of special needs and a mixed group of intellectual disabilities. “For example, if an adult with Down syndrome is stuck doing something, he or she will call for help, whereas a person with autism may not be able to reach out. If the staff at the centre is not tuned in to how a person with autism would react, they will not get help,” Ms. Kumtha said. She said the forum plans to reach out to these centres and facilitate training for the staff.

FFA also plans to focus on respite care. Parents say that in case of emergency, when the parent has to be away, there are no centres to take care of adults with autism. Most centres for special adults take only limited number of people with autism, forcing them to stay at home most of the time. Parents struggle to help them become an integral and productive part of society. Respite care centres may go a long way in helping adults with autism live independently for some time.