NBC Dateline Drives Home Fear for Families of Turning 22, Loss of Services and Uncertain Future for People with Developmental Disabilities
Here's how Massachusetts Makes Life More Certain for People with Developmental Disabilities

In last nights NBC Dateline special, families lamented the loss of services after age 22. One New York family in which the father's job forced him to relocate to Florida was warned of no services available for years due to a 22,000 person waiting list.

In Massachusetts, the citizens of the Commonwealth, the Governor, Legislature and state agencies have worked together to offer hope for families through Turning 22 Services and Supports, Family Support Programs and Day and Employment Supports.

Through the compassion of state officials, Massachusetts families have a better future, though the needs of families continue to be higher than the resources available each year.
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ADDP, The Arc of Massachusetts and MFOFC are asking the Massachusetts Legislature to help families caught in the same uncertaintees in life to:

Restore $15 million to Line 5920-3000, DDS Family & Respite Supports to prevent 1000 families from losing services or seeking more costly out of home placements.

Restore $10 million to Line 5920-2025, DDS Day & Employment Supports to ensure that 1000 day hab participants don't lose help with toileting, feeding and behavioral supports.

 
The uncertainty of life after age 22

 

On Sunday, April 12 at 7pm/6c, NBC's Dateline aired "On the Brink," a powerful new report, three years in the making, that puts a spotlight on autism's 'aging out' crisis.

(Watch the full episode here)

Over the next ten years, an estimated half a million young people with autism will turn 21 and 'age out' -- losing their eligibility for help through the education system.

The stability and structure they have had nearly their whole lives will end, and there's no equivalent support system to take over. "On the Brink" takes an unprecedented look at the lives of young adults with autism and the extraordinary measures parents take to provide their children with specialized services and a better future.

Over a three-year period, Dateline chronicles the raw and emotional journeys of two New York-based young adults with autism and their families, as they transition from graduation to adulthood and make a leap towards an uncertain future.

NBC News National Correspondent Kate Snow interviews two mothers who devote their lives to caring for their sons and helping them find a voice. Snow shares their heartbreaking stories and the tremendous challenges of navigating a broken system of programs that will allow their sons to progress in life. "On the Brink" documents both families' ongoing fight to help their children and revolutionize the way autism is perceived in the U.S.

"We spent countless hours with these two families for over three years and it truly was an eye-opening experience," said Snow. "It's one thing to know that services end for people when they turn 21, and it's another to see it play out. We are grateful that both families allowed us into their private lives, so we are able to share their compelling stories and shine a much-needed spotlight on this important issue."

Snow also speaks about concerns surrounding the 'aging out' process with Sharon Lewis, Senior Advisor on Disability Policy to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Linda Walder, Executive Director of the Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to studying the issues facing adults with autism.