Each autism characteristic may vary in type and degree from person to  person and can fluctuate over time. Panel Theme: Needs for Services and Supports Depend on Transitioning Youths’ Goals for Adulthood

The panel told us that youth with ASD may need services addressing  individual autism characteristics—or a combination of autism  characteristics and other health conditions—that affect their ability to  attain their goals for adulthood. The panel  discussed the importance of valuing the characteristics that may facilitate  goals and warned against assuming that autism characteristics need to  be “fixed.” The panel discussion, however, focused primarily on services  and supports needed to address autism characteristics that can hinder  progress toward goal attainment. The panel said  that in order for youth with ASD to achieve health and safety, there need  to be enough medical and mental health caregivers who are trained in the  unique needs of patients with ASD and prepared to accommodate them. Panel Theme: The Need for Access to Evidence-Based Services that Are Individualized, Flexible, Timely, and Provided in the Community

		Individualized and Flexible Supports

The panel said that, like other transitioning youth with disabilities, autistic  youth need a personalized mix of services that address their unique  support needs. A comprehensive approach which provides individualized, consumer- directed supports in all of these areas can enable all autistic people to participate in their  communities, self-advocate, and live meaningful and productive lives with a high quality  of life, regardless of level of disability.”
The panel said that individuals with ASD need flexible services and  supports that can adapt to changes in their needs. The panel also noted that girls and  minority students are diagnosed with ASD at a later age than other youth,  on average—sometimes after they have left high school. As a result, the  panel said, they may have received fewer services and may need more  help as they transition to adulthood. On Access to Services   “Without transportation, it can be difficult or impossible for autistic youth to hold jobs,  pursue higher education, go to community events, meet with peers, access healthcare,  or develop relationships, hobbies, or interests outside of the home.”

		Well-Coordinated, Holistic Supports

According to the panel, services for transitioning youth with ASD should  be well-coordinated, with service providers, youth, and their families  agreeing on common goals and communicating regularly. Local services may help youth better integrate into their community. The really shocking thing in all  this is that we spend roughly $130 billion per year on services for autism across the  lifespan but we have so little insight into who gets what and with what effect.”

	Panel Theme: A New Approach to Supporting Youth with Autism to Enhance Their Integration into Society

To improve the ability of youth with ASD to fully participate in society, the  panel cited the need for a paradigm shift, including a new approach to  supports. In this new paradigm, society and autistic youth alike would  share the responsibility for inclusion, and the public and service providers  would have better understanding of autistic youths’ potential. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This is the first in a series of reports on youth with autism transitioning to  adulthood. A second engagement will  examine the services provided to transitioning youth with ASD and any  challenges they may face obtaining them. 2. How can youth with autism be fully integrated into society? Choosing Panelists

To answer our research questions, we convened a roundtable discussion  on March 3 and 4, 2016. Panel Topics of Discussion

We asked the panel about the services that transitioning youth across the  autism spectrum need to help them achieve five goals for adulthood:  1. Postsecondary education. Employment. 3. Maximizing community integration. Appendix II: Agenda and List of Invited Panelists

Appendix III: Services and Supports for Transitioning Youth with Autism Identified By the Panel

The panel identified 14 broad categories of services and supports that  may help youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) attain the goals of  education, employment, health/safety, independent living, and community  integration as they transition to adulthood.
Why GAO Did This Study

About a half a million youth with ASD will enter adulthood over the next decade. As they exit high school, they must obtain services as adults. Previous GAO work has shown that students with disabilities who are transitioning to adulthood face challenges identifying and obtaining adult services. GAO was asked to study the services and supports youth with ASD need during the transition to adulthood. This is the first in a series of reports.
GAO studied (1) the services and supports transitioning youth with ASD need to attain their goals for adulthood, (2) the characteristics of these services and supports, and (3) how youth with ASD can be fully integrated into society. To address these objectives, GAO convened a roundtable discussion on March 3 and 4, 2016. GAO selected 24 panelists, including adults with ASD, service providers, researchers, and parents of youth with ASD. GAO interviewed prospective panelists in advance of the discussion and selected a panel with a broad base of expertise reflecting the diversity of the autism community.
The panel described the services and supports that youth with ASD may need to help them achieve five goals for adulthood: postsecondary education; employment; maximizing independent living; health and safety; and maximizing community integration. GAO analyzed the transcripts of the panel as well as documents provided by panelists. GAO is not making recommendations in this report.

What GAO Found

Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) transitioning to adulthood may need a wide range of services and supports to help them achieve their goals, according to a panel GAO convened in March 2016. ASD is a highly individualized condition with characteristics that vary in degree and type from person to person. Autism characteristics may hinder or help youth achieve their goals—such as postsecondary education and community integration. For each goal, the panel described services and supports that youth (ages 14-24) with ASD transitioning to adulthood may need to address autism characteristics and other health conditions that affect their ability to attain the goal. GAO grouped these services into 14 broad categories.
To support a successful transition into adulthood, the panel said youth need to be able to access services that are individualized, timely, equitable, and community- and evidence-based, among other things. The panel discussed the need for timely, individualized services that address the variation in autism characteristics and any changes over a person's lifetime. For example, a person's verbal abilities may change over time, and their needs for communication services would also change. The panel said transitioning youth with ASD need equitable access to services regardless of their race, gender, family income, or location. For instance, the panel said that female and minority youth may be diagnosed at a later age and thus receive fewer services during school and may need additional transition planning services. The panel also emphasized the need for services within youths' local communities in order to foster access and community involvement. In addition, the panel said that while services should be evidence-based, more research into program efficacy is needed.
To improve the ability of autistic youth to fully integrate into society, the panel cited the need for a new approach to providing supports and better public understanding of autism. Such an approach would place a shared responsibility for inclusion on both society and youth with ASD. For example, according to the panel, youth with ASD should learn workplace social expectations and meet them to the extent they can, but employers should also recognize that some social rules, such as expecting individuals to smile, can be difficult for some individuals with autism. The panel also said that widespread knowledge of autism could lead to better understanding of autistic youths' potential and enhance their chances of attaining it.