Why
Living independently and autonomously are considered by many people to be important for wellbeing and leading a good life. In Australia, moving out of the family home to live in a household on one’s own, without any ongoing formal care, is traditionally considered to be one of the markers of living an independent adult life.
There is little Australian-based research reporting on the views and experiences of Autistic adults who have moved out or want to move out of home. Likewise, there is a lack of research about what parents/carers perceive as obstacles to the moving out process, or what might help ease the transition to independent living. There are currently no formal supports or services available in Australia to enable Autistic adults to move out of the family home to live in a place of their own.
What do Autistic adults and their parents think could make it easier or more difficult for Autistic adults to move out of the family home to live independently? What services and supports could help Autistic adults to live independently in a place of their own?
The research
Autistic adults and parents of Autistic adults, who have moved out of home or want to move out were invited to participate in a short online survey and express their interest to be interviewed.
A total of 37 participants completed the online survey:
• 28 Autistic adults
• 9 parents of Autistic adults.
Eleven Autistic adults participated in follow-up interviews and shared their experiences of moving out of home and living independently
What we learnt
Online survey
Living independently was very important to the majority of Autistic adults (n=27, 79.4%). Although the majority expressed confidence in their ability to live independently, about one quarter (n=8, 23.5%) stated that they had no confidence at all about being able to do so.
Interviews
We identified three key themes from the interviews with Autistic adults:
Theme 1: Independent living is important
“It’s the most important thing in my life”
“On a scale of one to ten, it’s about a fifteen”
Theme 2: Moving out is challenging and there's limited support
“Every single aspect you can think of was a problem”
“The housing market sucks for people with a disability”
Theme 3: Early diagnosis may inform better choices
“I wish I had known when I was younger”
“If I had known I was Autistic … I would want to live closer to my family”
Find out more
Publication
Al Ansari, M., Edwards, C., & Gibbs, V. (2023) “Living Independently Means Everything to Me”: The Voice of Australian Autistic Adults. Autism in Adulthood.
Making a difference
This study found that living independently is important to Autistic people, however they require supports including:
• assistance in developing everyday living skills
• sourcing and selecting appropriate accommodation
• support to manage the organisational requirements of living independently.
Early diagnosis and provision of services or resources that can assist Autistic people and their families to navigate the processes associated with moving out of the family home would be beneficial. This could include:
• a checklist of the necessary logistical and administrative tasks and factors to consider when choosing a place to stay or a flatmate
• a service that provides Autistic people and their families with general guidance regarding the moving out process.
The findings from this study will inform autism service provider practices to help Autistic adults in Australia who want to move out of their parent’s home and live independently.
Research team
Vicki Gibbs, Aspect Research Centre for Autism Practice (ARCAP)
Dr Mustafa Al Ansari, ARCAP
Emma Gallagher, Autistic Consultant, Research and Practice, ARCAP
Started
2021
Ends
2022
Funding
Aspect