Understanding Support Needs

Support is matched to the person

NIMH explains that because autistic people have such a wide range of needs, there is no single best approach to support. CDC describes the range plainly: some autistic people need a lot of help in their daily lives, while others work and live with little or no support. WHO adds that abilities and needs vary and can change over time — some autistic people live independently, while others have significant disabilities and need lifelong care and support.

Needs can change — by day, by setting, by age

The Autistic Self Advocacy Network notes that some autistic people need substantial daily help, others need little, and some need help only at certain times — and that some autistic people have intellectual disabilities while others do not. A person may manage well in a familiar routine and need much more support during a change, an illness or a stressful season. Support plans work best when they are reviewed as the person grows.

Why “high” and “low” functioning labels fall short

CDC’s 2022 surveillance found that, among eight-year-olds with autism who had cognitive test data, 39.6% were classified as having an intellectual disability — which also means most were not. Yet a person without intellectual disability can still need considerable help with communication, sensory load or daily living, and a person who needs a lot of help in one area may be highly skilled in another. NIMH lists strengths many autistic people share, such as learning things in detail, strong visual or auditory learning, and excelling in math, science, music or art. Describing specific needs and specific strengths is more useful than a single label.

Kinds of support families may encounter

NIMH says people with autism may be referred to providers who specialize in behavioral, psychological, educational, occupational, physical or speech-language therapy. CDC groups approaches as behavioral, developmental, educational, social-relational, psychological and pharmacological, and notes that support can be delivered at school, in health settings, in the community or at home. Programs may help people:

• Learn social, communication and language skills
• Manage behaviors that interfere with daily functioning and well-being
• Build on strengths
• Learn life skills for living independently
• Find housing, educational supports and job coaching or training

The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that no single service meets every child’s needs, and that plans usually combine developmental, behavioral, educational and social-relational strategies agreed with the pediatrician. Autism Family does not recommend particular treatments or providers.

How to describe your child’s needs

• Write down what helps and what makes things harder — people, places, times of day, sensory load.
• Note the supports already in place (school services, therapies, routines) and which ones are working.
• Include the autistic person’s own preferences and goals; ASAN’s principle is “Nothing About Us Without Us.”
• Keep copies of evaluations and reports — NIMH notes they may help qualify for programs.

After a diagnosis.