1. A Future Without Crisis:
Adult Autism Services
Reform
Advocated for by Noël Scriffiny

2. Table Of Contents
• What’s Going on Now?...................................3
• Who’s Impacted?...............................................4
• How Much?........................................................5
• Solutions.............................................................6
• References..........................................................7

3. What’s Going on Now?
• The focus of this presentation is on the impact of adult services
for those whom have moderate to severe Autism Spectrum
Disorder(ASD).
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) rates are 10 times greater
than they were fifteen years ago (The New Jersey Center for
Outreach and Services for the Autism Community, 2006). .
• Statistics released by the CDC, for 2009, state that 1 in every
110 children has Autism Spectrum Disorder. Along with that,
70% of the US population with ASD is under the age of 14
(Lainer, 2010, p. 1).
• With ASD on the rise majority of ASD population being under
14, there will be a substantial increase in services needed as that
population enters adulthood.
• Overall, Vocational Rehabilitation(VR) services have reported a
121 percent increase from 2002 to 2006 in Autism cases
(Cimera, 2009).
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html

4. Who’s Impacted?
• As childhood rates of ASD continue to climb, so will follow the adults rates with ASD. This will affect their
ability to receive the services they need.
• The following services will, if not already, we impacted:
• Housing(such as residential, supported living, and group homes)
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services(Assisting in job training/finding for people with disabilities)
• Qualified behavioral specialists
• Social Security- increased cost for adult services, i.e. housing
• Medicaid/Medical- increased cost for medical coverage
• Social Services-need for more adult social workers

5. How Much?
• It is estimated that the “societal cost” for an individual with
ASD is 3.2 million dollars over their lifetime along with 35
billion for the entire population with the condition (Michael L.
Ganz, 2007, p. 348).
• Because many new types of services start at age 23-27, the
startup cost of the services are high (Michael L. Ganz, 2007).
• when the influx of children with ASD reach adulthood there will
be a drastic increase in societal costs for the initial setup of
adult services and evaluations.
(Michael L. Ganz, 2007)
A compromise between cost effectiveness
and increased services to support the
growing generation of adults with ASD
needs to be made.
(Michael L. Ganz, 2007)

6. Solutions
• Continued support of Intermediate Care
Facilities – Mental Retardation for severe
cases of ASD
• Allocate housing funding to proposed group
home model with a residential size limit of 4-
receive the individualized support needed to
gain independent living skills
• Increased group homes- stop long waiting
lists
• Increase funding to Vocational Rehabilitation
services- more work means less cost
(Autism Services of Mecklenburg County, Inc.)
Let’s prepare for the the future, for a place to call home and an opportunity to gain
independence.

7. References
Autism Services of Mecklenburg County, Inc. Residential Services. 2011. http://www.asmcinc.com/residential_supports.php.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010, June 24). Autsim Spectrum Disorders. Center for Disease Control and
Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html
Cimera, R. (2009). The costs of services and employment outcomes achieved by adults with autism in the US. autism , 285–302.
Lainer, P. F. (2010). Addressing the Needs of Adolescents and Adults with Autism: A Crisis on the Horizon. Journal of
Contemporary Psychotherapy , 37-45.
Michael L. Ganz, M. P. (2007). The Lifetime Distribution of the Incremental Societal Costs of Autism. Archives of Pediatrics and
Adolescent Medicine , 343-349.
The Legislative Blue Ribbon Commision on Autism. (2006, Spetember). A comprehesive service system for adults with autism
spectrum disorders. California State Senate: http://senweb03.senate.ca.gov/autism/documents/meetingsevents/
Revised_COMPREHENSIVE%20SERVICES%20FOR%20ADULTS.pdf
The New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community. (2006). Meeting the needs of adults with Autism:
a blueprint for the future..