"Everyone Uses Different Skills and Resources to Live Independently": A Brief Report on Autistic Young Adults' Perspectives on Independence and Daily Living Skills.
Elizabeth A Kaplan-Kahn, Melanie J W Ong, Dave Ki and 10 others
PMID 40679747WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic young adults described independence as making their own choices with desired supports, not doing everything alone.
They identified barriers like inaccessible transportation and executive functioning challenges. Clinicians should align support plans with the patient's specific goals rather than normative standards.
Key findings
01Participants defined independence through self-sufficiency and autonomy, emphasizing the desire to make their own choices and manage tasks with minimal support.
02Barriers to independence included both individual factors, such as executive functioning and mental health, and structural factors, like limited access to government services and transportation.
03There was a disconnect between mainstream 'neurotypical' standards of independence and the participants' desired levels of support, with some preferring to live with caregivers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample had limited racial and ethnic diversity, which affects generalizability. All participants lived in the United States, so findings may not apply to other cultural contexts where independence is defined differently. Participants did not have co-occurring intellectual disability, so results do not reflect the full range of support needs across the autism spectrum. Participants did not provide feedback on the findings, which limits member checking.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the participants' use of supports or desire to live with caregivers as a failure to achieve independence. The study found that these choices were often deliberate and aligned with the participants' personal goals for quality of life.