Abstract
The term “emerging adulthood”, coined by Arnett (2000, 2006), suggests that for most people in developed, post-industrial Western societies, there is a significant delay in entering adult life and binding frameworks such as marriage/couplehood, having children, higher education, beginning a career, joining a community, and developing a worldview. This phase is generally defined as occurring between the ages of 18 and 25 or even 35. The stage of emerging adulthood allows young people to integrate into frameworks of adult life and to act according to relevant expectations, without the obligations involved. This chapter discusses adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the distinctive persistent and increasing difficulties they encounter during the stage of emerging adulthood. People with ASD often lack age-appropriate encounters and experiences that provide the necessary stimulation for the stage of emerging adulthood. The authors of this chapter established the Milestones for Life organization, which offers a transition preparation course for this population that provides them with tools for independent living in the community. The program’s guiding principle is that the processes and possibilities of the stage of emerging adulthood constitute a springboard for subsequent independence and maturity.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Algozzine, B., Browder, D., Karvonen, M., Test, D. W., & Wood, W. M. (2001). Effects of interventions to promote self-determination for individuals with disabilities. Review of Educational Research, 71(2), 219–277. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543071002219.
Anderson, K. A., Sonsnowy, C., Kuo, A. A., & Shattuck, P. T. (2018). Transition of individuals with autism to adulthood: A review of qualitative studies. Pediatrics, 141(s4), s318–s327.
Arnett, J. J. (2000). Emerging adulthood: A theory of development from the late teens through the twenties. American Psychologist, 55(5), 469–480.
Arnett, J. J. (2006). Emerging adulthood: Understanding the new way of coming of age. In J. J. Arnett & J. L. Tanner (Eds.), Emerging adults in America: Coming of age in the 21st century (pp. 3–19). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Arnett, J. J. (2011). Emerging adulthood(s): The cultural psychology of a new life stage. In L. A. Jensen (Ed.), Bridging cultural and developmental psychology: New syntheses in theory, research, and policy (pp. 255–275). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Arnett, J. J., & Padilla-Walker, L. M. (2015). Brief report: Danish emerging adults’ conceptions of adulthood. Journal of Adolescence, 38, 39–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2014.10.011.
Carter, E. W., Harvey, M. N., Taylor, J. L., & Gotham, K. (2013). Connecting youth and young adults with autism spectrum disorder to community life. Psychology in the Schools, 50(9), 888–898. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21716.
Cinamon, G., Rich, Y., & Gross-Spector, M. (2012). The characteristics of exploration at the stage of young adulthood: The case of young adults in Israel. Herzeliya, Israel: Gandyr Foundation.
Côté, J. E. (2002). The role of identity capital in the transition to adulthood: The individualization thesis examined. Journal of Youth Studies, 5(2), 117–134. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676260220134403.
Côté, J. E. (2014). The dangerous myth of emerging adulthood: An evidence-based critique of a flawed developmental theory. Applied Developmental Science, 18(4), 177–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/10888691.2014.954451.
Dahl, R. E. (2016). The developmental neuroscience of adolescence: Revisiting, refining, and extending seminal models. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 17, 101–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2015.12.016.
Dar, Y., & Kimhi, S. (2001). Military service and self-perceived maturation among Israeli youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 30(4), 427–448. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010493116011.
Eaves, L. C., & Ho, E. H. (2008). Young adult outcome of autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(4), 739–747. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-007-0441-x.
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crises. New York: Norton.
Friedman, N. D., Warfield, M. E., & Parish, S. L. (2013). Transition to adulthood for individuals with autism spectrum disorder: Current issues and future perspectives. Neuropsychiatry, 3(2), 181–192. https://doi.org/10.2217/npy.13.13.
Galanaki, E., & Leontopoulou, S. (2017). Criteria for the transition to adulthood, developmental features of emerging adulthood, and views of the future among Greek studying youth. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 13(3), 417–440. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v13i3.1327.
Gaudet, S. (2007). Emerging adulthood: A new stage in the life course. Implications for policy development. Ottawa, ON: Government of Canada: Policy Research Initiative.
Gelbar, N. W., Smith, I., & Reichow, B. (2014). Systematic review of articles describing experience and supports of individuals with autism enrolled in college and university programs. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(10), 2593–2601. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2135-5.
Giarelli, E., Ruttenberg, J., & Segal, A. (2013). Bridges and barriers to successful transitioning as perceived by adolescents and young adults with Asperger syndrome. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 28, 563–574. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2012.12.010.
Hendry, L. B., & Kloep, M. (2011). Lifestyles in emerging adulthood: Who needs stages anyway? In J. J. Arnett, M. Kloep, L. B. Hendry, & J. L. Tanner (Eds.), Debating emerging adulthood: Stage or process? (pp. 77–104). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Hensch, T. K., & Bilimoria, P. M. (2012). Re-opening windows: Manipulating critical periods for brain development. Cerebrum, 11. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3574806/.
Hill, P. L., Jackson, J. J., Roberts, B. W., Lapsley, D. K., & Brandenberger, J. W. (2011). Change you can believe in: Changes in goal setting during emerging and young adulthood predict later adult well-being. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 2(2), 123–131. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550610384510.
Hillier, A., Campbell, H., Mastriani, K., Vreeburg Izzo, M., Kool-Tucker, A. K., Cherry, L., & Beversdorf, D. Q. (2007). Two-year evaluation of a vocational support program for adults on the autism spectrum. Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, 30(1), 35–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/08857288070300010501.
Israelashvili, M. (2014). The importance of the family home for young people in the “emerging adulthood” stage: A literature review. Tel Aviv, Israel: Tel Aviv University and the Lamerhav Association.
Kidney, C. A. (2012). Involvement in the online autistic community, identity, community, and well-being. Dissertations and Theses. Paper 627. Retrieved from PDX Scholar. https://doi.org/10.15760/etd.627.
LeBlanc, J. J., & Fagiolini, M. (2011). Autism: A “critical period” disorder? Neural Plasticity, 921680. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/921680.
Lombardo, M. V., Chakrabarti, B., Bullmore, E. T., Sadek, S. A., Pasco, G., Wheelwright, S. J., … Baron-Cohen, S. (2009). Atypical neural self-representation in autism. Brain, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awp306.
Luyckx, K., De Witte, H., & Goossens, L. (2011). Perceived instability in emerging adulthood: The protective role of identity capital. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 32, 137–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2011.02.002.
Maguire, S. M., & Thompson, J. (2007). Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET): Where is Government policy taking us now? Youth and Policy, 8(3), 5–18.
Mayseless, O., & Keren, E. (2014). Finding a meaningful life as a developmental task in emerging adulthood: The domains of love and work across cultures. Emerging Adulthood, 2(1), 63–73. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167696813515446.
Mayseless, O., & Scharf, M. (2003). What does it mean to be an adult? The Israeli experience. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2003(100), 5–20. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.71.
Merkler, E. E. (2007). The experience of isolation and loneliness in young adults with high-functioning autism. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press.
Messersmith, E. E., & Schulenberg, J. E. (2010). Goal attainment, goal striving, and well-being during the transition to adulthood: A ten-year U.S. national longitudinal study. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 130, 27–40. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.279.
Moreno, A. (2012). The transition to adulthood in Spain in a comparative perspective: The incidence of structural factors. Young, 20(1), 19–48. https://doi.org/10.1177/110330881102000102.
Myers, E., Davis, B. E., Stobbe, G., & Bjornson, K. (2015). Community and social participation among individuals with autism spectrum disorder transitioning to adulthood. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(8), 2373–2381. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2403-z.
Nelson, L. J., Badger, S., & Wu, B. (2004). The influence of culture in emerging adulthood: Perspectives of Chinese college students. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 28(1), 26–36. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650250344000244.
OECD. (2012). The challenge of promoting youth employment in the G20 countries. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/employment/emp/50304960.pdf.
OECD. (2014). Promoting better labour market outcomes for youth. Melbourne, Australia: OECD. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/els/emp/OECD-ILO-Youth-Apprenticeships-G20.pdf.
Oesterdiekhoff, G. W. (2016). Child and ancient man: How to define their commonalities and differences. The American Journal of Psychology, 129(3), 295–312. https://doi.org/10.5406/amerjpsyc.129.3.0295.
Orsmond, G. I., Shattuck, P. T., Cooper, B. P., Sterzing, P. R., & Anderson, K. A. (2013). Social participation among young adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-013-1833-8.
Pearlman-Avnion, S., Kenny, S., & Vortman-Shoham, I. (2017). A preparatory program for young adults on the autism spectrum: Identity exploration and self-advocacy. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 7(3), 159–167. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2017.7.
Roux, A. M., Rast, J. E., & Shattuck, P. T. (2018). State-level variation in vocational rehabilitation service use and related outcomes among transition-age youth on the autism spectrum. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3793-5.
Roux, A. M., Shattuck, P. T., Cooper, B. P., Anderson, K. A., Wagner, M., & Narendorf, S. C. (2013). Postsecondary employment experiences among young adults with an autism spectrum disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 25(9), 931–939. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.05.019.
Salzer, M. S., & Baron, R. C. (2016). Well together—A blueprint for community inclusion: Fundamental concepts, theoretical frameworks and evidence. Retrieved from https://www.wellways.org/about-us/publications.
Samuels, E. (2003). My body, my Closet: Invisible disability and the limits of coming-out discourse. GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies, 9(1–2), 233–255.
Scarpetta, S., Sonnet, A., Livanos, I., Núñez, I., Riddell, C. W., Song, X., & Maselli, I. (2012). Challenges facing European labour markets: Is a skill upgrade the appropriate instrument? Intereconomics, 47(1), 4–30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10272-012-0402-2.
Schulenberg, J. E., Sameroff, A. J., & Cicchetti, D. (2004). The transition to adulthood as a critical juncture in the course of psychopathology and mental health. Development and Psychology, 16, 799–806. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579404040015.
Schwartz, S. J., Arnett, J. J., & Côté, J. E. (2005). Identity and agency in emerging adulthood: Two developmental routes in the individualization process. Youth & Society, 37(2), 201–229. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X05275965.
Shattuck, P. T., Lynette, L., Anderson, K. A., & Kuo, A. A. (2018). A National research agenda for the transition of youth with autism. Pediatrics, 141(s4), s355–s361.
Shogren, K. A., & Plonter, A. J. (2012). Transition planning for students with intellectual disability, autism, or other disabilities: Data from the national longitudinal transition study-2. Intellectual and developmental Disabilities, 50(1), 16–30. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-50.1.16.
Shulman, E. P., Smith, A. R., Silva, K., Icenogle, G., Duell, N., Chein, J., & Steinberg, L. (2016). The dual systems model: Review, reappraisal, and reaffirmation. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 17, 103–117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2015.12.010.
Shulman, S., & Nurmi, J.-E. (2010). Understanding emerging adulthood from a goal-setting perspective. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 130, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.277.
Skaletz, C., & Seiffge-Krenke, I. (2010). Models of developmental regulation in emerging adulthood and links to symptomatology. In S. Shulman & J. E. Nurmi (Eds.), New directions for child and adolescent development (Vol. 130, pp. 71–82). https://doi.org/10.1002/cd.282.
Sneed, J. R., Johnson, J. G., Cohen, P., Gilligan, C., Chen, H., Crawford, T. N., & Kasen, S. (2006). Gender differences in the age-changing relationship between instrumentality and family contact in emerging adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 42(5), 787–797. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.42.5.787.
Sosnowy, C., Silverman, C., & Shattuck, P. (2017). Parents’ and young adults’ perspectives on transition outcomes for young adults with autism. Autism, 22(1), 29–39. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361317699585.
Talo, C., Mannarini, T., & Rochira, A. (2014). Sense of community and community participation: A meta-analytic review. Social Indicators Research, 117(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-013-0347-2.
Taylor, J. L., Adams, R. E., & Bishop, S. L. (2017). Social participation and its relation to internalizing symptoms among youth with autism spectrum disorder as they transition from high school. Autism Research, 10(4), 663–672. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1709.
Terry, R., Townley, G., Brusilovskiy, E., & Salzer, M. S. (2019). The influence of sense of community on the relationship between community participation and mental health for individuals with serious mental illnesses. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(1), 163–175. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcop.22115.
Wehman, P., Schall, C., Carr, S., Targett, P., West, M., & Cifu, G. (2014). Transition from school to adulthood for youth with autism spectrum disorder: What we know and what we need to know. Journal of Disability Policy Studies, 25(1), 30–40. https://doi.org/10.1177/1044207313518071.
Wehmeyer, M. L., Shogren, K. A., Smith, T. E., Zager, D., & Simpson, R. (2010). Research-based principles and practices for educating students with autism: Self-determination and social interactions. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45(4), 475–486. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23879754.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Vortman-Shoham, I., Kenny, S. (2019). Emerging Adulthood and ASD. In: Lowinger, S., Pearlman-Avnion, S. (eds) Autism in Adulthood. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28833-4_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28833-4_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-28832-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-28833-4
eBook Packages: Behavioral Science and PsychologyBehavioral Science and Psychology (R0)