How many Adults diagnosed with AS work?

[streamdreams]

Gilbo

 

The NAS figure is not 4% but 6%, also it?s 6% of all diagnosed Autism cases and not just Aspergers so the figure is severely out. A closer number might be Digbt Tantuam?s survey in 1986 who claimed the 22% were employed, however one has to bare in mind that none of his �subjects� had an IQ above 100 ! so even that is not totally representative.

 

I would suspect the truth is well above 50 if we take all level of AS disability in to account.

 

Further this is the first generation of AS kids growing up with a diagnosis and special needs. The figure can only get higher.

 

For my $0.02 the future is very bright

 

J

[ceecee]

I think it probably depends on the level of your as and what type of job you can do or are doing as to if you work or not.I have very mild aspergers.I work and look after my two young children with very few probs.

[mossgrove]

There is another question here, which is maybe a little harder to answer.

 

Most adults with AS did not have a diagnosis as school as Aspergers Syndrome/HFA has only been recognised relatively recently. 'Martian in the Payground' by Claire Sainsbury is probably a good starting point to understand their school experiences. (it certainly describes many of mine!).

 

Since that time there has been much more awareness of ASD's in General and Aspergers in particular. Provision varies wildly between areas but in general most children on the Autistic Spectrum get some kind of additional help.

 

What I wonder about is, what difference will all these intervations have made when children now at school with a diagnosis reach school leaving age and beyond?

 

The lack of post-16 support is scanalous and documented elsewhere on this forum, but the hope has to be that increased awareness will have made a difference to our children as they grow up, and that their chances odf success in the world of work will have increased as a result. Or maybe I am just being naive?

 

What does everyone else think?

 

Simon

[Lucas]

I was taking into account that people with the Kanner diagnosis were being included but from what I've seen in figures in America and Canada, it's more likely those with the AS diagnosis bringing the numbers down, not up.

 

You are more likely to be successful with an Autism DX, whilst you are also more likely to be institutionalised too. It's why I'm often asking myself: why are they concentrating on correcting supposed things 'wrong' with us, when it won't make a difference in adult life?