Throughout the duration of the Care4Autism project, our partnership concentrated on the significance of recognizing the characteristics of an “autism-friendly” environment. We addressed the necessity for researchers to heed the perspectives of individuals with autism directly, or to proxy reports for those unable to advocate for themselves, placing substantial emphasis on the qualitative experiences of adults with autism. Our efforts were dedicated to highlighting the importance of the “person-environment" fit and identifying the traits of an “autism-friendly” environment.
Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others. Autistic adults see, hear and feel the world differently from other adults. Over the past four decades, there have been significant advances in our understanding of autism, yet services for autistic adults continue to lag far behind those for children, and prospects for employment and independent living remain poor. Despite many studies demonstrating positive changes in individual functioning with age, many individuals with autism, regardless of IQ and ability, remain highly disadvantaged as adults. Many have limited independence, continue to require considerable support and often remain living with parents, with little social participation outside the family. Moreover, causes of mental health problems in autism remain poorly understood. Too frequently in clinical services, we see individuals who, during their childhood, have shown a reduction in autistic symptoms and who have initially made good progress, both academica and socially, but who then begin to experience mental health problems in mid-to later adolescence.