Planning for the Future Together
The hardest question in every autism family is some version of "who will care for them after me?" The answer is almost never one person — it's a plan, built early, and revisited often.
The autistic adult is the subject of this plan, not its object. Their voice, preferences, and consent belong at the center — even when the plan is drafted by family. If they cannot decide every detail, they can still say what a good life looks like.
Most families avoid the 'what happens when I'm gone' conversation for years. Naming it — gently, over time, and with the autistic person in the room — is the first move. Nothing gets planned if it can't be discussed.
Write down everything one person currently does: rides, appointments, bills, cooking, emotional check-ins, benefits paperwork. Once it's visible, it becomes distributable.
No one person will replace a lifelong caregiver. Aim for three or four people who each carry a slice — a sibling for finances, a friend for weekly contact, a paid worker for daily support, a case manager for the system.
Routines, food preferences, sensory triggers, medical history, what a bad day looks like, what helps. A Letter of Intent turns invisible knowledge into something anyone can pick up.
Wills, special needs trusts, ABLE accounts, powers of attorney, and supported decision-making arrangements. Do this with a special-needs attorney and revisit every few years.
Try a week where the primary caregiver steps back. What breaks? Fix that before it's an emergency. Small rehearsals now prevent full-blown crises later.
The After Plan walks through the four documents most families need: Letter of Intent, Special Needs Trusts, Guardianship vs. Supported Decision-Making, and Housing Options.
Open The After Plan →