| That's right, autistic kids grow up. This entire text | | | | place to avoid embarrassment and |
| has been devoted to the autistic child, but what | | | | miscommunication. |
| about autistic adults? What kinds of difficulties do | | | | Hygiene is another problem for the autistic adult. |
| autistic adults have when they are in our society, | | | | Some autistic adults have a hard time combing |
| at the workplace, or raising a family of their own? | | | | their hair or brushing their teeth. Sensitivity in |
| Many autistic adults work, go to school, and live a | | | | these areas cause them to avoid grooming or |
| semi-normal life. There are autistic professors at | | | | bathing all together. Some avoid and some just |
| universities, autistic doctors, and there are some | | | | give up. They know they have problems and |
| autistic adults that work at Burger King. | | | | after awhile it is easier to ignore them than to |
| Remember each autistic person is an individual and | | | | face them at all. Simple chores like laundry may |
| has different abilities according to their autism. | | | | be ignored and the employees and other adults in |
| One of the challenges the autistic adults have the | | | | the workplace can make some pretty cruel |
| face is assumptions about their ability to do a | | | | comments about the cleanliness of the adult. |
| task. An employer or co-worker will not assign a | | | | Eating and nutrition are sometimes a problem for |
| specific work related task to an autistic adult | | | | the autistic adult. They will refuse any food that |
| employee because it is assumed that they cannot | | | | offends their senses or gives them a bad feeling. |
| do the task or will not do it correctly. These | | | | Sometimes they will not know how to prepare |
| assumptions are picked up by the autistic adult | | | | food and will eat less nutritious foods in substitute. |
| and emotional pain is felt when they are judged | | | | The act of deciding what too much food is and |
| by their peers. They have a want and a right to | | | | what is to little is another issue. Sometimes an |
| try any task that is put before another peer and | | | | autistic adult will gorge themselves when eating, |
| not be prejudged. | | | | while another individual will eat just enough to stay |
| The world also has trouble with the autistic adult | | | | alive. Some autistic adults have quirks about what |
| not being able to initiate a conversation or other | | | | and how they eat. Foods sometimes need to be |
| social interaction. Most autistic adults have trouble | | | | separated from other foods or a mixture of |
| giving eye contact and in the work place there | | | | foods will cause a bad reaction. |
| are people that do not understand this and will be | | | | If you have an autistic child that is an adult or you |
| offended because of it. Shaking hands and other | | | | are an autistic adult reading this, the only way |
| social gestures are sometimes difficult for them. | | | | that the uninformed public to understand what |
| Some adults will even avoid using the bathroom | | | | autism is and how it affects the individual is |
| because the interaction in a closed public restroom | | | | awareness and education. Hopefully the world will |
| is to much for them to bear. The employer | | | | learn and understand the special nature of an |
| should be educated on the behaviors of their | | | | autistic child and adult and they can embrace the |
| autistic employee and precautions should be put in | | | | uniqueness and understand their issues. |