The New Hampshire Council on
Autism Spectrum Disorders
Resources and Topics for Families
As a parent, caregiver, or extended family member of an individual on the autism spectrum, you may have many questions: What does a diagnosis of ASD mean? How can I put together a treatment program? What supports are out there to help my son or daughter transition to adulthood?
Throughout this guide, resources are organized into five Systems of Care that are typically accessed by families supporting someone who has ASD: medical, therapeutic, community-based, family support, and educational. If you are new to a diagnosis of ASD, this is a good place to start.
Just as in parenting any child, new questions arise with each stage of a young person's development. Because eligibility for services may also change with each successive stage of life, information in this family guide is organized into three sections based roughly on age: Early childhood to school age (Getting Started), childhood to adolescence (Staying the Course), and adolescence to young adulthood (Transition to Adulthood). Additional resources for adults can be found by linking to the Self Advocates' pages.
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Systems of Care
Getting Started
Index to Family Pages
Transition to Adulthood
Staying the Course
Putting the Pieces Together in the Granite State
Getting Started Staying the Course Transition
Many parents of children with developmental differences find that the time during which they were seeking a diagnosis for their child shapes how they tell their family's story many years later.
At one time, healthcare and other providers sought to shield parents from "information overload" immediately following a diagnosis. Through the Internet and other sources, however, today's parents quickly find there way to every possible idea about autism -- some good, some not-so-good.
Along with the Systems of Care section, Getting Started is designed to provide a framework for organizing resources and information. This "mental map" is a tool that parents can return to as their child's development raises new questions and possibilities.
During elementary and middle school years, you will begin to expand the range of activities in which your child participates. For example, your son may benefit from -- and prefer -- being a member of your local scout troupe, as opposed to extra hours of therapy. This can be exciting, but it may also take some creativity on your part to insure success.
These years may also be punctuated by many meetings with your child's special education team. Like all young children, students with ASD have rapidly changing needs as they progress through the general education curriculum.
Finally, many children with Asperger Syndrome are not formally diagnosed until later elementary school -- meaning that a new group of parents are seeking answers to funda-mental questions about ASD and best practices in supporitng those who experience this condition.
While most parents look forward to the day that their son or daughter is finally "launched," this can also be a source of great anxiety for parents of emerging adults who experience ASD.
Parents and other caregivers face complex questions at this juncture: How can I insure the financial security of a son or daughter with a disability? What about guardianship? Can I support my son or daughter's desire for more independence? How?
Because ASD had been thought of as a "disorder of childhood," there are fewer services specific to the needs of young adults with this condition. Teens who have received support in public schools will not have access to the same level of support in post-secondary educational settings. They may not qualify for developmental services, despite some areas of need.
