Every parent asks the question: "How will my child manage in life?" For parents of children with Asperger's, this question takes on a particular dimension. Asperger's autonomy may seem like a distant goal when daily challenges mobilize all energy. However, with adapted and progressive support, the path to independence is possible.
This article explores the principles and concrete strategies for supporting a person with Asperger's towards autonomy that respects their pace and specific needs.
Rethinking Autonomy
Before discussing strategies, it is important to rethink what Asperger's autonomy means.
Autonomy is not total independence. No one is completely autonomous: we all live in interdependence, with support from our environment, society, and technologies. The goal is not to no longer need anyone, but to be able to lead a satisfying life with appropriate support.
Autonomy varies differently according to individuals. Some people with Asperger's live very independently, others need more substantial support. Both situations can be equally satisfying and fulfilling.
Autonomy is not a final state but a continuous process. We become more autonomous progressively, throughout life. There is no deadline for acquiring this or that skill.
Autonomy must be desired and not imposed. Supporting towards autonomy is not forcing independence. It is offering the tools and opportunities to develop skills, at the person's pace.
The Domains of Autonomy
Asperger's autonomy develops in several domains that are useful to distinguish.
Autonomy in activities of daily living concerns practical skills: personal hygiene, dressing, eating, home maintenance, shopping. These basic skills are fundamental for independent living.
Autonomy in health management includes understanding one's body and its needs, managing medical appointments, taking medications, recognizing situations requiring consultation.
Financial autonomy concerns money management: understanding the value of things, making purchases, managing a budget, using banking services.
Autonomy in transportation allows one to get from one point to another independently: using public transport, finding one's way, driving for those who can and wish to.
Social autonomy implies the ability to interact with others functionally: asking for help, communicating one's needs, managing basic interpersonal relationships.
Decision-making autonomy concerns the ability to make choices for one's own life: preferences, orientations, consent, defending one's rights.
Principles of Support Towards Autonomy
Several principles guide effective support towards Asperger's autonomy.
Starting from the person's strengths and interests. Autonomy builds more easily on what already works than on what poses difficulty. A passion can become a springboard towards independence.
Breaking down complex skills into simple steps. Each major skill can be fragmented into accessible micro-skills. Mastering the steps one by one progressively leads to mastering the whole.
Using visual and written supports to compensate for memory or organization difficulties. Lists, illustrated sequences, reminders: these supports allow tasks to be performed autonomously.
Creating routines that automate skills. Once a sequence of actions is integrated as a routine, it requires less conscious effort and becomes more stable.
Offering practice opportunities in real contexts, with scaffolding that gradually decreases. In-situ learning is generally more effective than theoretical learning.
Accepting errors as part of the learning process. Autonomy is also built through trial and error, provided that the errors are not dangerous.
Daily Living Skills
The development of Asperger's autonomy often begins with daily living skills.
Personal hygiene can be taught with visual sequences detailing each step. The shower routine, tooth brushing, hand washing: these sequences displayed in the bathroom serve as a guide.
Dressing can be facilitated by organizing the environment: clothes sorted by type, outfits prepared in advance, simplified wardrobe with easy-to-match clothes.
Preparing simple meals can be learned progressively. Start with very simple recipes with few steps, then gradually increase complexity. Step-by-step picture recipes are particularly useful.
Home maintenance can be structured with task schedules. Which task to do on which day, how to do it, when it is considered complete: this explicit information guides action.
Applications like COCO THINKS and COCO MOVES for children contribute to developing cognitive skills (attention, memory, planning) that then support autonomy in practical activities.
Financial Management
Asperger's autonomy in financial matters develops progressively.
Start with the basics: understanding the value of money, exchanges, the fact that resources are limited. Playing store games or supervised real situations allow this learning.
Practicing purchases with support that gradually lightens. First together, then the person does it alone with you nearby, then more independently.
Learning to manage a simple budget: recording expenses, comparing with what is available, making choices. Budget management applications can help visualize this information.
Understanding basic banking services: bank card, ATM, account statement. Support during first uses reassures and allows for error correction.
Transportation
Asperger's autonomy in transportation opens many possibilities.
Learning regular routes first. The path to school, to a regular activity: these repeated routes can be progressively mastered.
Using supports for new routes. Maps, GPS applications, photographs of landmarks: these aids compensate for orientation difficulties and reduce anxiety.
Public transport can be learned with progressive support. Understanding the system, buying a ticket, reading information, knowing what to do in case of problems: each aspect can be explicitly taught.
Driving is possible for some people with Asperger's. Learning may be longer and require adaptations, but a driver's license is an achievable goal for many.
Social Autonomy and Asking for Help
Paradoxically, Asperger's autonomy includes the ability to ask for help when necessary.
Knowing when to identify when help is needed is a skill to develop. Recognizing that a situation exceeds one's capabilities and that support would be useful is not a failure but a manifestation of autonomy.
Knowing how to ask for help: whom to address, how to formulate the request, how to respond to questions. These scripts can be prepared in advance.
Knowing available resources: aid services, associations, professionals. Knowing where to find support when needed is a key skill for independent living.
Accepting help without shame. Interdependence is normal and the use of adapted supports does not diminish autonomy.
The CLINT Application for Adolescents and Adults
The CLINT application, designed for adolescents and adults, offers cognitive stimulation exercises that contribute to developing the capacities necessary for autonomy: attention, memory, planning, flexibility. Its autonomous use is itself an exercise in independence in an adapted digital environment.
Decision-Making Autonomy
Asperger's autonomy includes the ability to make decisions for one's own life.
Offering choices from an early age develops decision-making capacity. Start with simple choices between two options, then progressively expand.
Respecting expressed preferences, even when they differ from ours. Autonomy involves being able to make choices that don't necessarily suit those around us.
Teaching how to evaluate options: what are the advantages and disadvantages, what are the possible consequences. This structured reflection helps make informed decisions.
Accepting that decisions can sometimes be "bad." Learning from one's mistakes is part of developing autonomy.
Limits and Permanent Supports
Support towards Asperger's autonomy must also recognize limits and support needs that may persist.
Some people will always need support in certain areas, and that is acceptable. The goal is not total independence but a satisfying life with appropriate support.
Accommodations and compensations are not failures of autonomy. Using a shopping list, having a reminder for appointments, receiving support for certain procedures: these aids enable autonomy, they do not compromise it.
Legal protection (guardianship, curatorship) may be necessary for some people. It does not cancel autonomy but frames it to protect the person.
Training to Better Support
Support towards Asperger's autonomy benefits from being based on a comprehensive understanding of autistic functioning. The training "Asperger's Autism: Understanding Invisible Particularities" offered by DYNSEO provides this foundation of understanding.
Discover the training: https://www.dynseo.com/en/courses/autism-asperger-comprendre-les-particularites-invisibles-cours/The training "Autism in Adulthood" specifically addresses questions of autonomy and independent living for autistic adults.
Conclusion: A Progressive and Personalized Path
Asperger's autonomy is not a state to be achieved but a path to travel, at one's own pace, according to one's own possibilities. Each skill acquired, each step towards more independence is a victory that deserves to be celebrated.
Support consists of offering the tools, learning opportunities and necessary support, while respecting the person's pace and choices. It is a delicate balance between pushing enough to allow progress and not pushing too much to avoid exhaustion or discouragement.
Each person with Asperger's has their own autonomy profile, with areas of strength and areas requiring more support. Respecting this individuality while patiently working on skill development is the key to successful support.
The future is open. With the right supports, the right opportunities and the necessary time, many people with Asperger's lead autonomous and fulfilling lives.
