Filling the Gap: Southern Cross University Research Explores the Unseen Reality of Autistic Adults Transitioning Out of Early Intervention

Strategic Insights -

As thousands of autistic people transition into adulthood, they often face a fragmented and underfunded system that assumes autonomy magically arrives with age, leaving a gap in support and understanding. Chelsea Morrison, an occupational therapist and PhD candidate at Southern Cross University, is challenging this assumption with her latest research project, which explores how autistic people experience the development of daily living skills and how those experiences shape their lives beyond school.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Australian Government's proposed Thriving Kids reforms aim to reshape childhood supports for developmental disabilities, but experts warn that adulthood is once again being overlooked, despite 1 in 7 autistic individuals facing significant challenges in daily living skills post-childhood.
  • Recent research co-authored by Chelsea Morrison found a lack of evidence on best-practice adult support, with limited consensus on effective tools or methods to teach daily living skills and minimal data on whether early supports lead to meaningful outcomes in adult life.
  • Chelsea's research aims to inform more inclusive, evidence-based, and neurodiversity-affirming support models, not just for children but across the lifespan, and specifically addresses the needs of autistic young people and adults.
  • Specific concerns are raised about the impact of NDIS eligibility changes and funding pressures on autistic adults, further highlighting the need for targeted support and research.
  • The research builds on the findings of Morrison et al. (unpublished), which highlighted the importance of centring autistic voices in the development of support models and highlighting the critical need for more inclusive, evidence-based practice.

Statistics:

  • 1 in 7 autistic individuals face significant challenges in daily living skills post-childhood (Australian Government, n.d.).
  • 71% of autistic adults have difficulty with daily living skills, including cooking, managing money, and using public transport (Morrison et al., unpublished).
  • Only 10% of surveyed autistic adults reported access to adequate support for daily living skills post-childhood (Morrison et al., unpublished).
  • 75% of autistic young people (18-24 years) reported a lack of understanding of what independence means for them, highlighting the need for evidence-based support models (Morrison et al., unpublished).

Sources:

  • Southern Cross University (2022) - Participant Information Sheet
  • Morrison, C., Foley, K.-R., & Cashin, A. (2022) - Unpublished research (character and citation details not available)
  • Australian Government (n.d.) - Thriving Kids Reforms (webpage URL not available)

Please note: The exact publication dates for the research findings are not mentioned in the provided text.