Autistic Children and Group Homes

Abstract

There is no guaranteed outcome for an autistic person when it comes to housing. It can range from complete independent living to living with family to being placed in a group home. In this personal account, the story of one family with two autistic children with high needs is shared. Placing a child in a group home is difficult for any parent. The emotional cost is great enough but there are additional challenges that can add to the pain of the situation. What is shared is not meant to generalize to the experience of all autistic people, not even all autistic people who are placed in group homes. This account is a snapshot of one family’s experience that may highlight some of the problems with the system and potentially point to areas for improvement.