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Homelessness and autism

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edgewaters
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17 Jul 2012, 12:36 am

KemoreJ wrote:
I really feel for the homeless. But you know what, they are among the nicest and most sincere people. I prefer people on the fringe to those with privelege.


Agreed.

I've never been homeless homeless, but I've been technically homeless (ie couchsurfing for a few years at different places). And I knew the street culture well, at one time.

Well ... I guess I was truly homeless for a few days once. But it's hardly comparable.

I think if I had been born 10 or 15 years later than I was, there's a good chance I would've ended up outright homeless.



legomyego
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17 Jul 2012, 2:16 am

if i didn't have my parents i'd likely be homeless...because i dont have the social skills to navigate social security or dshs.....



Jediyoda
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17 Jul 2012, 2:58 am

I have never been homeless because I have a very protective Mum and Dad who would never let me live that way and they help me out alot. I live in private rent, even though a couple of my neighbours tend to think I am homeless and feel that I should not be living where I am because I have a disability. I do have friends who I work with in a disability workshop who have been homeless and now live in boarding houses. I feel its wrong noone should be homeless its sad to see.



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17 Jul 2012, 3:08 am

KemoreJ wrote:
But you know what, they are among the nicest and most sincere people. I prefer people on the fringe to those with privelege.


Absolutely. I worked for the census bureau a couple years back. Going neighborhood to neighborhood, marking every place where people might be living on a map. Mostly, it was counting houses, back houses, trailers in peoples' yards, and the like.

A couple times, I got assigned to cover parks known for having large homeless camps. Was a little nervous about it, how they'd react to me coming in and counting their tents and such. I didn't need to be. They were by far the most helpful and friendly people I encountered while at that job.

Have spent a few months couch surfing, had to sleep in my car on a few occasions. But, thankfully was never out on the street.


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Jediyoda
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17 Jul 2012, 3:08 am

My Mum is concerned when she passes on that I will end up homeless because I do not know how to look after myself properly and I don't know how to budget properly or who to goto when things go wrong or situations are abit to hard for me to understand or process. I cannot go back home because I do not get along with my Dad very well and he too has AS and Mum cares for him as well as looking after me even though I do not live at home.



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17 Jul 2012, 7:15 am

I agree that on this aspect the low functioning people get help easier. If I'm not married I imagine I wouldn't be homeless, but would be rather poor, because I can only handle part-time work. My brother also worked part-time and didn't make a lot of money. They don't understand if you can work 20 hours a week, what's stopping you from working 40 hours a week? I guess it's like if you can walk, talk and shift some boxes, you don't have a disability. It's amazing how narrow-minded people can be.


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17 Jul 2012, 7:19 am

I am quite sure at some point I will end up homeless...just seems pretty likely. I mean I simply cannot stay at my moms house forever so if I cannot find a better way to move out my plan was to go homeless. Otherwise I am sure there are other ways it could happen.

In general though I'd say homelessness is more common for people with mental issues in general, not just those with autism.


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hanyo
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17 Jul 2012, 7:25 am

When my mother is gone if she can't leave me money and I can't get ssi I will be homeless.



Nadakan
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11 Aug 2014, 8:13 am

Almost homeless 3 times. I have a student loan now which keeps me going and I'm doing my best to stop overanalyzing myself to the point of confusion. I hope that by the end of my degree in two years time I'll be more solid in myself to work and not get meltdowns and freak out at the feeling of being controlled/boredom/mundanity.



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11 Aug 2014, 2:17 pm

kx250rider wrote:
I would guess that a large population of the homeless community is mentally or emotionally challenged. Likely more homeless might be with paranoid schizophrenia or severe depression, more than autism. High functioning autism won't stop most people from having some sort of employment or aid, as we tend to have common sense and at least basic logic and communications skills (sans body language in my case)... But with other types of challenges, such as schizophrenia, the person with it might drive help away, and perhaps sometimes appear perfectly normal; thus disqualifying for aid in some cases. Lower-functioning autism, is fairly stable (as far as the appearance of symptoms and traits), and likely would allow the person with it to take advantage of help and placement. With routine as a mainstay of lifestyle for most with autism, a group home or other regimented program would be more appealing than it might be for the schizophrenic or the depressed. Just my opinion, and based on what I've read about the homeless population in Southern California.

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People with schizophrenia and depression tend not to have common sense, not even basic logic and communications skills?

Not sure that is entirely true...From what I understand there are lots of intelligent people with schizophrenia....and they aren't constantly in a state of psychosis 24/7 like it seems most people think, as for depression yeah when it gets so bad you're don't even give a damn about hygene and are considering suicide then that is not a very rational clear minded state....but there is typically common sense, basic logic, communication skills and even thoughts, likes, dislikes and more even underneath all those symptoms.


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11 Aug 2014, 2:19 pm

I am on SSI and live at my moms house, I am thinking if I was not able to live at my moms house I'd be homeless...though as is I have to pay 300 of my 721 monthly SSI deposit on rent, it would likely either be that or more to live anywhere else.


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