Health and Disability

A 2013 report by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) found that youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities face a variety of barriers to accessing and managing their health care when they reach adulthood:

• They may no longer have access to the same source of health coverage that they had before they turned 18
• They may have difficulty finding adult-oriented health care providers who understand their health care and communication needs
• They may not get the supports they need in order to understand their health care options and make decisions for themselves.

ASAN has responded to this  healthcare dilemma by preparing a comprehensive toolkit to empower people with disabilities, their families, and other disability advocates to help youth with disabilities manage their own health care as they transition to adulthood.