Resource Library/Adults & transition
Adults and transition
Autistic children grow into autistic adults. Some adults live independently, while others need significant lifelong support with communication, healthcare, safety, daily living, or decision-making. Both belong here. These resources are for autistic adults, families, and caregivers planning what comes next.
●Last reviewed August 2026 · details change — confirm with official sources
There is no single correct version of adulthood. Employment, college, independent living, supported living, day programs, community participation, and lifelong family support may all be appropriate depending on the person. The goal is not to make someone appear less autistic. The goal is access, communication, health, safety, autonomy, relationships, and quality of life.
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Adults & transition guides
Start Here: Adulthood and Transition
A manageable overview of what may change in adulthood, what does not change, and which decisions deserve attention first.
Read the guidePreparing for Adulthood
School transition planning, the records worth keeping, decision-making options, healthcare transition, and the applications that come before school-based services end.
Read the guideBenefits and Funding
Adult disability benefits, Tennessee’s disability-service pathways, healthcare coverage, waiver-related supports, savings options, and paying for ongoing care.
Read the guideAdult Healthcare, Therapy, and AAC
Finding adult-focused primary care, dentistry, gynecology, and mental healthcare, plus speech therapy, AAC, OT, PT, and feeding care once pediatric providers age out a patient.
Read the guideEmployment, Day Programs, and Community Life
Competitive and supported employment, vocational services, volunteering, meaningful day programs, recreation, and the social opportunities that make up community life.
Read the guideHousing and Daily Support
Living with family, supported living, residential services, in-home assistance, personal care, transportation, respite, and how to evaluate a support provider.
Read the guideLegal and Financial Planning
Supported decision-making, powers of attorney, conservatorship only where it genuinely fits, special-needs trusts, ABLE planning, representative payees, and the letter of intent.
Read the guideFuture Planning and Aging Caregivers
Naming a successor caregiver, building an emergency backup plan, and documenting the routines, communication, and preferences that keep support consistent later.
Read the guideSafety, Relationships, and Self-Advocacy
Consent and healthy relationships, abuse prevention, online safety, wandering, interactions with law enforcement, crisis planning, and the right to be heard regardless of communication style.
Read the guideFind Adult Services
Adult day programs, employment, residential and in-home support, adult therapy and AAC, healthcare, transportation, respite, recreation, and planning professionals — verified listings with ages and last-checked dates.
Search the directoryCrisis and safety
- Immediate danger: call 911.
- Mental-health crisis, any age: call or text 988, free and confidential, 24 hours a day.
- Adult abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation: Tennessee Adult Protective Services, 1-888-277-8366, 24/7.
- Rights, abuse, neglect, and advocacy: Disability Rights Tennessee investigates and advocates for Tennesseans with disabilities at no cost.
- Ongoing crisis prevention for intellectual and developmental disabilities: Tennessee START offers crisis response and stabilization planning for people with I/DD who are enrolled in a Medicaid waiver. Ask your DDA or ECF CHOICES support coordinator whether START applies, or see Tennessee START directly.
This section is general information, not an emergency response service, individualized medical or legal advice, or a guarantee that a specific program will accept a specific person. In a crisis, use the numbers above rather than this website’s contact form — nobody monitors it in real time.
How the Resource Directory handles adults
Switch the Resource Directory to its adult view, or filter to an exact age, to see listings sorted for adult use rather than pediatric use. Every adult listing shows the ages it actually serves and the date we last checked that information — if we could not confirm a detail, the listing says so instead of guessing. Open the adult view of the Resource Directory.