Recent research conducted by the Chief Social Workers for Adults and the Chief Social Worker for Children and Families in England, examined the care experiences of 61 autistic children and young people living with families and in residential and supported independent living settings. The analysis compares the type of support families, children and youth need with the support they have been offered in order to assess the impact of the received support on their lives.
While the study findings may not apply in other contexts, some of the major findings, along with promising practices, offer important insights for social workers and other practitioners engaged in supporting individuals diagnosed with autism.
Findings
- Ongoing and consistent social support for parents provided during early development stages, rather than during crisis phases, is greatly appreciated by families.
- Parents who fear being labelled as bad parents or who are afraid of being blamed for parenting failures, may limit the family’s willingness to look for help and support.
- Young adults who experienced trauma through loss and change, or from abuse and neglect were not always well cared for in child and adult services.
- Many families did not receive specialist support during childhood.
- Less social work support is offered when families are coping with challenging behaviours.
- When high-quality early support is offered, the quality of life for individuals and their families improve. Yet, in some instances, institutional care is hard to avoid, especially in times of crisis.
- Some children were excluded from school when challenging behaviours (e.g., when the autistic child is considered a risk to other children) increased and the school could not meet the child’s needs.
- Adolescence is a period of enormous pressure for families; the teen years tend to bring escalated stress, anxiety, violence and aggressive behaviour due to change and unpredictability. This may result in dropping out of school, contact with police, family breakdowns and residential/institutional placements.
Promising practices
- The families interviewed stated that they found it helpful to build a close relationship with their social worker as early as possible.
- Personalising the education environment for the autistic person is very beneficial.
- Better educational outcomes for the children are achieved when they attended specialist schools better equipped to support their needs.
- It is important that social workers continue to offer their support during further or higher education.
- Social work teams who provide care from birth to the age of 25 show efficient results in tailored care and the support offered.
- Transition teams, that is social workers from child and adult services who work together to create a transition plan, lead to good outcomes for the young person and their families.
- Social workers need to develop key knowledge and skills to work with autistic people and their families to ensure effective support.