Need Advice on How to Help My Brother with Autism

If he is trying to get out of his parents house it seems like he wants independence. If that is the case I doubt he will fight you on the job requirement. Unless your parents have legal guardianship over him he can move where ever he wants.

I guess I am saying you need to look into what support groups there are for him in your area. They will have a line on job opportunities for guys like him.

One thing I have found with my son is the more responsibility I give him the more responsible he gets. It is almost as if he wants more than anything to prove he will one day be independent. He is 12 by the way and doing just as well independence wise as my "normal" kids did at his age. He is a high functioning Autistic. :)

Call adult social services (might be named "office of jobs & family") for your area and talk to them about the situation. The social worker can share some options, and may be able to help him get job training and with job placement.

Another thought is a group house for people with disabilities, if he qualifies. He'd be "on his own" but would have some oversight/supervision by trained caregivers. Obviously, somewhat like nursing homes & rehab care, you'll want to tour potential places and ask questions--not all are the same quality.

What did he do when he lived at home? Did he work then? Does he have a social worker through your parents' connections? If so, could you contact that person for help/guidance?

Autistic or not, he needs to find a job. Did your parents kind of baby him? Is he just sick of being treated a certain way? I guess I'm asking WHY did he leave and insists on leaving? I'd talk to your parents before you speak with your brother... if he is capable of getting a job, then he needs to. If he's not capable of caring for himself, 25 or not, I'm sure there's some legal way to make him stay at home. I'm so sorry you're going through this, and I truly hope it gets better!!

Have you guys thought about an Assisted Living Home for him? Not a group home, but an Assisted Living. Her he would have his own apartment, a social worker and career host, a nurse all available to him at least 5 days a week. He can go and look at several and see which one he likes. Then he would get a ton of help. Federal money helps move people with disabilities into independence and this is the way it is funded. He then is safe and care for, learns to be more independent and feels as if he is living on his own. These places are so amazing!!! The job coaches get's their jobs for them and arranges for any type of training to be set up for assistance they may need. They have programs in place that will get them the adaptive equipment they need to "function" as near normal as possible. The places are quite amazing too. They get a rather small apartment, usually like a small living area, a small bedroom, a kitchennet and a bathroom. If he can not be with a stove; they come with just microwaves if needed. They arrange for him to have AM wake up calls if needed. They even have people on staff to make sure they are dressed appropiate. They even provide transportation for them to and from work. I will try to look up some in your area, later; but just can't right now. If you feel he can and WANTS TOO; live with one of you, you can use the career placement center just for a job coach, who in all practices, makes arrangments for them to work. They are AMAZING programs. We have one here in Minnesota that I have worked with named "Lifeworks". Goggle them and they may have links to sister programs near you. Good LUCK and (((HUGS))) that your brother really would like to give you but can't!

Hi Claudia,
I have a 17 year old son who is autistic. Given the state of adult services for dd folks in Illinois, you may not be able to find your brother a job, at least not right away. But there are governmental resources and adult services that can help. If you email me privately at ____@____.com or call me at ###-###-####, I can give you some leads, advice, etc. This would be most useful if your brother actually does come to live with you.
S. Redfern

Hi Claudia,

I don't have any advice, but I wanted to tell you that you seem like a fantastic sister and daughter. I hope you can help your brother find what he needs in life. God Bless your caring heart.

Hi Claudia - try miserecordia in IL - they are in west rogers park - they help people in your situation. They are a care facility. Dont worry things will get better soon. It sounds like you know what is good for him & you are taking the steps to help.
Keep up hope!
R.

Check out Giant Steps in Lisle. They started out as an education center for autistic children (to make sure they grow to be the best adults they can), but started an adult program about 2 years ago to help with careers, independent living, etc--and they actually can work at the main center. www.mygiantsteps.org is their website.

Another fantastic resource is Autism Speaks www.autismspeaks.org
Their site shows various area resources for school age as well as adults living with autism.

My "nephew" (one of my bestest :) friend's sons) is mostly-high-functioning--usually--and she lives in central IL and has nowhere near the resources down there as we do here in the Chicago area and it just makes me so sad!!