What to do after autism transition program – Age 22

So my 19 year old is in his second year of the transition program offered through the high school district. He is really happy this year. They finally got him in the work program after delays due to the pandemic. His work days are every other day for two hours including travel time. They get on a bus to the Courtyard Marriott and he works in the back breaking down boxes, wiping down tables in the cafe and polishing silverware. From what I can gather, his actual work time is about an hour and a half. There is staff from the transition program there to monitor and support the students. He also wears a shirt provided by the school district that says Career Discovery and the school district number. I have noticed more autonomy at home due to the program. He takes initiative to put leftovers in the microwave by himself and then asks for feedback on the cooking time. He also puts his flavored waters away in the basement fridge and follows thru with throwing away the shopping bag it came in. I’ve been thrilled that he wants to take care of things and not rely on mom and dad to tend to daily activities.

Since he’s in his second year, he has only two more years and graduates. We recently had an IEP meeting and I inquired about programs after graduation. The teachers suggested he would both work and attend the adult day program. I was thrilled to learn about the adult day program and researched the locations. The facilities per the website and virtual tours show nice clean accommodations with lots to do. The website also suggests the “funding” from the government would help pay for the program. Yay! I thought this is all coming together.

At the same time, I got a call from the PUNS department, which is the department in Illinois that provides this government funding. They called to update his profile and said he is still on a waitlist for funding. I inquired about the adult day program when he turns 22 and the woman said the funding does not get released until five years after the 18th birthday best case scenario. Because of this, there would be no funding to pay for the adult day program until his 23rd birthday and may not be available until his 24th or 25th birthday depending on when he gets accepted into the program. Yikes! I was alarmed. She suggested using the SSI income which we are also waiting for an approval to pay for the program. With the cost of the program she suggested the SSI would cover about two days a week.

So much for a smooth transition. He will probably then go to a job three days a week and attend the day program two days a week. I just hope he is able to hold down a job for more then a couple hours. We are currently left in limbo about the future of our son and what we foresee him doing.

If you also have a child in a transition program, I would love to hear your thoughts on life after graduation. Feel free to comment below.