The Future Prognosis

When your child is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, it may be difficult to try to imagine a future for him or her. As recently as ten years ago, it was believed that children with autism would never be capable of attending regular school or having a normal life. Over the past decade, that view has changed considerably as early intervention and treatment have enabled children with autism to participate more fully in regular education. The prognosis for a child diagnosed with autism today is not nearly so bleak as it was just a decade ago.

According to what experience and statistics show:

2% of children diagnosed with autism will achieve normal functioning - that is to say, they will be indistinguishable from a neurotypical person
An additional 40% will be 'high-functioning' autistic. That figure is even higher for those with milder Pervasive developmental disorders and Asperger syndrome. While they may have few close friends, many adults with autism and Asperger syndrome have jobs, live independently and enjoy their lives.
Many more autistic people will live in group homes and work in regular jobs or in sheltered workshops. They'll ear n a living, have relationships and enjoy their lives.

Your child's prognosis depends on the severity of his or her symptoms. For some, the disability will be barely noticeable - in fact, it's likely that you knew an adult who had what we now call Asperger Syndrome or Pervasive Developmental Disorder when you were growing up. Others will require assistance with nearly every aspect of their lives. Some will graduate from high school, go to college and earn degrees. Others may develop a skill that makes them very valuable to others - computer programming, music, graphic arts - and find jobs where they're accepted and respected.

Among the supports that help people with autism function independently are job coaches, case managers, sheltered workshops, group homes and counselors. There is financial assistance and medical assistance to help pay for expenses once your child reaches adulthood - but it will require you to start putting those supports in place by the time your child is in his early teens. Many of the programs that offer support services for autistic people have waiting lists and limited funding, so you'll need to start your research and planning early to make sure that the care and support is there when you need it.

Autism is not a tragedy. It is not a death sentence. It is a complex neurological difference in functioning that affects most areas of a person's life - but it is not the end of life. Grieve for the loss of the child you hoped to have - and celebrate the one that you have.