Okay so I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and reading last few days. My autism and mental health are in a terrible state at the moment, have been for ages and gradually getting worse over last few years. I have the usual asd problems and also some mental health problems which is causing my family a great deal of stress and worry which in turn makes them ill. I read online about autism care homes for adults and I’m seriously considering this for myself. Not sure how it will be though. Has anyone here had any experience of these homes? I’m not sure how they work, like is it through NHS or do you have to apply to the homes? I might call my doctor tomorrow and say about it and see what she says. Paying will be an issue as I’ve no job and I’m signed off from work because of my asd and my mental health. So hopefully they can fund for me.
I don’t want to go into a home, the idea of that is absolutely horrible but I’d do it for my family as even though they say I’m not, I am a burden and life for them will be far better if I’m away and being looked after.
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A good friend of mine didn’t start talking until an abnormally late age (five years old, I think), so his parents went to test if he was deaf, and were told that he has Asperger’s. As a result, his entire family treated him with kid gloves, and he was always in special ed. When I met him, he was 21, living with his mother, and had cavernous self-esteem issues/multiple suicide attempts.
I and a few mutual friends found that empowerment is best. We taught him to ride a bike, drive a car, hang out at parties, drink/smoke in moderation (he’d been terrified of even trying it), handle finances, keep his home clean, etc. In other words, we basically taught him things every person has to learn in order to be an adult. He still has problems now, but he’s much more confident. Glad to hear he’s not the only one.
The residents in my house are all definitely lower functioning than someone with an Asperger’s diagnosis would be. However, at a couple of the other houses there are individuals whose diagnoses I am not privy to, but I would guess that they are more towards the Asperger’s area of the spectrum.
Regarding high school graduation, a couple of the residents in my house are currently in their last year of high school and are preparing to graduate with something like an IEP diploma. I know that several residents in other houses have graduation with full diplomas, so I don’t know why your neurologist would say that.
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I told myself from day one that no matter how out of hand things get or how far my buttons get pushed, I will never take anything personal. So to answer your question, no the kids do not insult me in the slightest bit.
Most medical professionals believe that children are born with autism. But the physical signs of autism don’t sprout on a child until they are a year or two old. Before that, they appear to be completely normal. Some people think that its something they develop the first two years of age (a lot of people believe vaccinations are a cause). I haven’t heard of any cases of autism coming from physical injury.
Nobody quite like rain man. There is one resident who can name any Disney movie ever made, a short bio about the movie, the year it came out and who directed it. There are thousands of Disney movies so when you ask him about one, it looks as if he is going through roller decks in his head of thousands of movies until he gets to the one you asked about.
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My son has learning difficulties, the first supported living house he was in was a disaster, as the people he shared with were disrespectful in many ways. Now he lives happily alone, with carer support. He is on benefits, his rent is paid for by Housing Benefits. This might be a better option for you perhaps?
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Hello Walt_2203,
I do have experience of care homes for people with autism/long term MH difficulties/learning disabilities because my husband is currently resident in one, and my eldest son lived in such accommodation for three years. He now lives in a supported flat owned and managed by the same care company who provided the residential placement.
In my eldest son’s case, a social worker from Adult Social Care was very instrumental in finding the placement. If you have a social worker, they may be the best person to talk to. I do believe you can self-refer for a needs assessment, within which accommodation could be discussed.
In my husband’s case, his placement was also coordinated by a social worker, but he went straight to the care home from hospital because he needed a high level of care.
Funding in both cases was provided largely from social care. That is to say social care paid the residential fees, but my husband and my son each underwent a financial assessment to see if they could pay contributions towards care.
Residential care homes are not the only option and I would advise you to get in touch with someone from adult social care to discuss what might be best for you.
Finally, whatever you choose to do, it has to be what is best for you. I did not stop worrying about my son and my husband when they went into care homes.
Wishing you all the best.