ABSTRACT
Introduction: Half a million autistic youth will enter adulthood over the next decade. Support services to help youth successfully transition into adulthood are limited and not tailored to the autistic youth and young adult's needs. This study utilized qualitative methods to understand how autistic young adults experience and cope with stress during the transition to adulthood. Methods: The study recruited 15 autistic young adults aged 18-25 years. Each participant completed a short demographic survey and individual interview. Interviews were conducted online via Google Docs or in-person based on the participants' preference. Three researchers organized and coded the data using a thematic approach. Results: Based on our analysis, three themes emerged. Within the first theme, young adults in this study described experiencing a great deal of stress and provided examples of how it manifested in physical and emotional ways. In the second theme, youth described that the causes of this stress stemmed from general problems handling new or multiple responsibilities and specific problems in school, work, financial responsibilities, and social relationships. Finally, young adults described using various coping mechanisms including relaxation techniques, use of technology, and friends and family social support. Conclusions: The study findings can help service providers and family members find new ways to help autistic young adults manage their stress. This study provides a unique understanding of stress and coping from the autistic individuals' point of view. Stress is most often derived from managing new responsibilities in general and school, work, money, and relationships in particular. Tailored support services that follow the individual from adolescence through adulthood are needed to manage these stressors. Researchers and service providers can utilize these recommendations for future program development. Furthermore, the method used in this study can be replicated to facilitate autistic individual input on future program development.
Why is this an important issue?: Few studies have examined what autistic young adults go through as they move from childhood to adulthood. Moving from high school to more adult duties is stressful for all young adults. It is unclear how autistic young adults deal with these changes. What was the purpose of this study?: We wanted to better understand the experiences, stressors, supports, and coping styles of autistic young adults as they move from childhood to adulthood. What did the researchers do?: We asked autistic young adults to describe their experiences, stressors, and how they cope as they age from teen years to adulthood. Fifteen autistic young adults were interviewed through Google Document or in-person interviews. To analyze the data, three researchers read each interview to find ideas and experiences those young adults shared. The researchers met many times to discuss the shared ideas and experiences they found. Researchers discussed these ideas until they agreed on what the main shared ideas (or themes) were. Two researchers then reread all the interviews to match ideas with the interview quote. What were the results of the study?: Researchers found three ideas (or themes) that all or most autistic young adults talked about. (1) Young adults said that they felt stress in physical and emotional ways. (2) Dealing with new responsibilities, many responsibilities, and relationship problems were their main causes of stress. (3) Autistic young adults said that they had different ways of dealing with their stress. Some young adults used meditation and others played games on their computers or phones or looked at pictures to deal with stress. Many young adults also said that they get help from family and friends when they are stressed out. What do these findings add to what was already known?: These findings help us better understand what stressors autistic young adults had and how they deal with this stress. Most studies ask caregivers questions about their young adults. Learning about stressors and ways to deal with stress using the young adult's own words is an addition to what we previously knew or what was published. Furthermore, the use of Google Doc discussions to collect data is new and was a good method of data collection. What are potential weaknesses in the study?: We only had 15 autistic young adults agree to be in the study, and most were white and male. Young adults with severe communication limits were not able to be in the study. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?: We know more about the ways autistic young adults feel stress and anxiety and how they deal with it. This information can help service workers give autistic young adults the support they need. The findings from this study can inform new interventions and can help health care workers, support service workers, and family members help autistic young adults deal with their stress and provide more ways to deal with their life stress.
