What do I need to plan for my autistic teen's adulthood?

Start now, even though your child is only 14: adulthood planning is a series of steps spread across years, not one conversation. Your child's IEP must address transition, meaning goals for education or training, employment, and independent living, no later than the school year they turn 16, and some states start at 14. Outside school, Vocational Rehabilitation can begin services in high school, as early as 14 in many states. At 18, some legal rights transfer to your child, and Social Security stops counting your income toward their SSI. None of this has to happen at once, and you have years to build it.

What does the law require, and when does transition planning start?

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, your child's IEP has to include transition planning no later than the first IEP in effect when they turn 16, and the IEP team can start earlier if it makes sense for your child. Some states set their own starting age of 14 or 15, so ask your child's school which rule applies where you live. The requirement lives in federal regulation 34 CFR 300.320(b), on the U.S. Department of Education's IDEA site. From that point on, the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals based on age appropriate assessments, covering training or education, employment, and, where it applies, independent living, along with the specific courses and services that will help your child reach them. Ask for the transition plan in writing, and ask what has already been assessed and what comes next.

What is Vocational Rehabilitation, and what are pre-employment transition services?

Vocational Rehabilitation, often called VR, is a state and federally funded program separate from your child's school that helps people with disabilities prepare for, find, and keep a job. Students who receive special education or related services, or who qualify under Section 504, can start receiving pre-employment transition services while still in high school, as early as age 14 in many states (the starting age is set by state law, so ask your state VR agency). These services include job exploration counseling, work-based learning experiences such as internships, counseling on postsecondary education options, workplace readiness training, and instruction in self-advocacy. You do not need a referral from the school to start; you can contact your state VR agency directly, and the school's transition team can help you make first contact. Ask what pre-employment transition services your child already qualifies for, and how to open a VR case before your child leaves high school, since VR eligibility and services can continue well past graduation.

What changes legally when my child turns 18?

In most states, 18 is the age of majority, the age the law treats a person as an adult who makes their own decisions, including about medical care, education records, and finances, unless that changes through a legal process. The IEP must include a statement about this transfer of rights at least a year before your child turns 18. Families handle this differently depending on how much support their child needs. Some children manage independently once informed of their rights. Others use supported decision-making, where a trusted person helps them understand and communicate choices without taking the choices away, or give someone power of attorney for specific decisions like finances. Guardianship, where a court transfers some or all decision-making authority to another adult, is the most restrictive option and is generally considered a last resort, used when other supports are not enough. Talk with your child's school, a disability attorney, or a benefits counselor well before the birthday to understand which options fit your child.

What happens to SSI and Medicaid at 18?

If your child receives Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, turning 18 triggers an age 18 redetermination using the adult disability rules instead of the childhood rules. One major change works in many families' favor: before 18, Social Security counts, or deems, a portion of a parent's income and resources as available to the child, which can make a child ineligible or lower their payment. That deeming stops at 18. Only your child's own income and resources count from that point, so some young adults become newly eligible for SSI even if they were not eligible as children. Separately, Medicaid home and community based services waivers pay for supports like personal care, day programs, and job coaching that many autistic adults rely on, but most states cap how many people they serve and keep waiting lists, sometimes long ones. Ask your state Medicaid agency or a local disability services office how to get your child's name on relevant waiver waitlists well before they turn 18.

What skills should I start teaching now?

Fourteen is a good age to start building the daily skills that make adult life more independent, and small, repeated practice now beats a crash course later. Money: let your child handle an allowance or a debit card, practice budgeting for something they want, and talk through the cost of things you buy together. Transportation: practice a bus or train route together, walk through ride share apps, or work toward a learner's permit if driving is realistic for your child. Self-advocacy: let your child ask their own questions at doctor's visits and IEP meetings, and practice explaining what they need in their own words. Medication: if your child takes any, start involving them in the routine, from opening the bottle to knowing what each dose is for. Cooking: teach one full meal at a time, starting with something simple your child already likes. None of this has to be perfect, and every skill practiced now is one less thing to build from scratch after graduation.

• Ask your child's IEP team when transition planning starts in your state and request it in writing.
• Contact your state Vocational Rehabilitation agency to ask about pre-employment transition services.
• Research supported decision-making, power of attorney, and guardianship before your child turns 18.
• Ask your state Medicaid agency how to add your child to a home and community based services waiver waitlist.
• Download the free ABCs of Autism guide as your one-source starting point.

Prefer to start with one guide? Download the free ABCs of Autism guide →

Next: Iep vs 504 plan for a child with autism

• U.S. Department of Education, IDEA, 34 CFR 300.320(b), Individualized Education Program Content (current) https://sites.ed.gov/idea/regs/b/d/300.320/b
• Rehabilitation Services Administration, Pre-Employment Transition Services (current) https://rsa.ed.gov/sub-regulatory-guidance/pre-employment-transition-services
• Social Security Administration, SSI Spotlight on Deeming Parental Income and Resources (current) https://www.ssa.gov/ssi/spotlights/spot-deeming.htm
• Medicaid.gov, Home and Community Based Services 1915(c) (current) https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/home-community-based-services/home-community-based-services-authorities/home-community-based-services-1915c

Last updated 2026-09-02. This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk with your child's clinician about your specific situation.