The majority of adults with autism still live with family members. All too often, this can lead to a heart-rending situation when aging parents die or become incapable of caring for their adult child. In residential programs that do serve adults with developmental disabilities, combined annual average staff turnover is 50%, with a staff vacancy rate of 10-12% (the Organization for Autism Research). The lack of access to appropriate service models is driven by lack of government funding. The current economic downturn, as well as the growing numbers of individuals with autism, will make the competition for scarce money even worse. Increasingly, families will be relying on their own resources. Banding together can help to spread costs.
Autism Housing Pathways is an organization of Massachusetts families who share an interest in creating self-directed housing to meet the needs of individuals with autism. AHP is engaged in assembling information on housing options for a variety of needs and incomes. Our goal is to provide our members with a road map to achieve their vision.
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