Autistic adults can access various benefits, primarily focused on financial aid (like disability pensions, unemployment support, housing assistance), employment assistance (workplace accommodations, job coaching), and daily living support (therapies like OT/speech, in-home care, NDIS funding for tailored plans) to help with life skills, independence, mental health, and community inclusion, varying by country (e.g., NDIS in Australia, Access to Work in the UK, Social Security in the US).
GPs and autism assessment teams
If you think you or your child needs help from a health professional, speak to a GP or the assessment team that diagnosed you. They may be able to refer you to a specialist who can help, such as: an occupational therapist. a speech and language therapist.
Furthermore, individuals with Autism generally succumb to health complications approximately 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population. Longitudinal studies that followed people with Autism for over 20 years found that the average life expectancy ranges between 39 years and 58 years.
The NDIS facilitates access to services that assist with diagnosis, treatment, and management of autism. Adults can also benefit from NDIS support, which includes funding for therapy, daily living aids, and community participation initiatives.
Most benefit programs are designed to meet essential needs such as health insurance, food assistance, income subsidies, employment assistance, independent living skills, and transportation. Some of these programs, such as Social Security are federally funded and are largely the same in every state.
Benefits and financial help for Autistic Individuals
The Social Security Administration (SSA) calculates SSI payments by taking into account the individual's countable income and subtracting it from the maximum federal benefit rate. As of October 2023, the average disability check for autism adults receiving SSI was $1,665.14, with maximum benefits of $943 per month.
While there's no single cause, studies suggest that around 90% of autism risk can be attributed to genetic factors, with environmental influences playing a secondary role.
Centrelink. Centrelink, managed by Services Australia, delivers a range of payments for autistic children or adults, or their parents or carers.
Among the causes of death, 27.9% were due to injuries, with suffocation being the most common, followed by asphyxia and drowning. The increased risk of drowning among autistic individuals has been confirmed by two additional studies.
Common signs of autism in adults include:
The longest living autistic person known is Donald Gray Triplett, famously known as “Case 1,” who was the first person ever diagnosed with autism. He lived until 89 years old, passing away in 2023.
Self-Care: Regular self-care practices such as mindfulness, deep breathing, or sensory breaks can help regulate emotions and reduce anxiety. Deep diaphragm breathing is excellent for returning the nervous system from dorsal vagal to ventral vagal functioning.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a benefit available to individuals aged 16 to 64 who have a long-term illness or disability, including autism.
Findings. The researchers found significant differences in life expectancy between the different groups. On average, autistic men without a learning disability had an estimated life expectancy of 74.6 years, and autistic women without a learning disability had an average of 76.8 years.
While neurotypical flirting often involves playful teasing or indirect hints, autistic individuals may be more straightforward in their compliments. They might say something like, “I really like the way you talk about history” or “You have a nice voice” without any hidden meaning.
Chinning is a form of repetitive self-stimulatory behavior (stimming) that you may notice in children or adults with autism. It involves pressing, rubbing, or holding the chin against objects, surfaces, or even hands to gain sensory input or comfort.
Children with autism may exhibit rigidity, inflexibility and certain types of repetitive behavior such as: Insistence on following a specific routine. Having difficulty accepting changes in the schedule. A strong preoccupation with a particular interest.
In general, people who have an active lifestyle are much more emotionally resilient and focused. There also seems to be some evidence that physical exercise helps people with depression and ADHD, which are commonly co-occurring conditions with autism.