Autistic Young Adults’, Parents’, and Practitioners’ Expectations of the Transition to Adulthood

Parental expectations are important for autistic youth during the transition to adulthood, but less is known about the expectations of other stakeholder groups. The current study examines the similarities and differences in expectations among autistic youth, parents, and professionals. Data were collected through six focus groups with 24 participants (7 parents, 11 professionals, and 6 young adults on the autism spectrum). Thematic analysis was used to identify five themes: normative hopes, living with uncertainty, mismatch of reality and expectations, impairments shape expectations, and services dictate expectations. Autistic youth expressed the most optimism for the transition to adulthood. All stakeholder groups touched on the tension between matching expectations with abilities; however, only professionals indicated a direct relation between expectations and abilities. Both parents and professionals highlighted the role of service availability in shaping expectations.