Brief report: A life-span perspective on the development of individuals with autism

When a person with autism in the United States needs help or support, one of the first questions that comes to mind is, What is available? The answer from our service systems is often far from clear. What ensues is the development of a cognitive map through options and obstacles to match the organization and delivery of services to meet the needs of the individual. Too often the guiding principles are agency-based rather than client-based (C. S. Schroeder & Schroeder, 1990). It is important to ask who our client is. Usually it is not just the individual with autism but also his family and his local supporting ecosystem.