Failure to Support Neurodivergent Adults
The Forgotten Years: Where’s the Support for Neurodivergent Adults?
Childhood support is already scarce. But for adults, it’s almost nonexistent.
Once someone turns 18, structured help often vanishes. No EHCPs. No mandatory adjustments. No coordinated services. Many autistic and otherwise neurodivergent adults are left navigating jobs, housing, relationships, and mental health alone, in a world not designed for their needs.
This isn’t just neglect... It’s systemic abandonment.
What happens after the school years end?
For too many neurodivergent adults, absolutely nothing. Support vanishes. Services drop off. And people are left to sink or self-fund the help they need to survive. This isn’t oversight... it’s simply abandonment.
Why is there so little support after 18?
Because most services are built around children, not adults. There’s no legal framework like an EHCP for neurodivergent adults. Mental health services often don’t understand or accommodate neurodivergent needs. Many people are left in limbo after diagnosis, with no next steps.
What about help with employment or independent living?
Support exists in theory but access is patchy, underfunded, and deeply misunderstood. Job centres and disability employment schemes often fail to adapt for sensory, communication, or executive functioning needs. Housing is rarely neurodivergent-friendly, and supported living options are scarce.
Is diagnosis enough to unlock support?
Sadly, no. Many adults wait years just to be diagnosed- and once they are, they’re told to “Google some resources” or join a waiting list. That's it. Without legally enforceable support, many of these people just fall through the cracks.
These aren’t just isolated struggles; the data paints a wider crisis
Quick Stats
✦ Only 27% of autistic adults are in paid employment. This is absolutely not because they can’t work, but because the system won’t adapt. (NAS, 2024)
✦ Three-quarters of autistic adults say they don’t get enough support to meet their needs. (Ambitious About Autism)
✦ 60% of councils in England offer no post-diagnostic support for autistic adults at all. (Autistica)
✦ Over 40% of neurodivergent adults report experiencing a mental health crisis after losing education-based support at age 16–18. This risk rises significantly without access to tailored adult services. (Source: National Autistic Society – Autism Act Review)
✦ Over 70% of autistic adults report not receiving enough help to meet their needs. Post-diagnosis support for adults is severely lacking, especially for those without co-occurring learning disabilities. (Source: National Autistic Society – Autism Act Review)
✦ 79% of autistic adults experience mental health issues due to lack of support. Anxiety, depression, and burnout are widespread among neurodivergent adults navigating a system that wasn’t built for them. (Source: Autistica UK)
This Doesn’t End at 18. And Neither Should Support.
Push for lasting support beyond age 18.
Too many neurodivergent people fall off a cliff once school ends. There’s no legal guarantee of continued help with education, employment, housing, or healthcare. We need lasting support. Not just for children, but for life! Share your story- or someone else’s- to spotlight what happens after 18. Real voices fuel real change.
Use your voice
Call out the invisibility of adult neurodivergence in the media, workplaces, and public services. Support petitions calling for adult diagnostic and support pathways to be strengthened.
Write to Your MP
When people are failed by the system, the cost ripples out: local economies suffer, government budgets strain, and taxpayers foot the bill through increased benefits and crisis services.
Ask your MP what services currently exist in your area for neurodivergent adults. Does your local council or NHS trust offer any post-diagnostic support? Are there pathways into employment, therapy, or social connection? If not, push for answers and ask whether your representatives will back policies that guarantee lifelong care, not just support in childhood.
Feel free to use this template.
Why this matters to us
When support ends, expression begins.
Too many neurodivergent adults are left without help after school ends. They are expected to navigate housing, work, and healthcare systems which were never built with them in mind- all by themselves.
Not Fine Art exists to make that struggle visible. Through art, we tell the truth about what life feels like when support disappears and what survival looks like in its place.
Whether your work reflects burnout, resilience, joy, or anger- it deserves to be seen. Add your voice to the movement through art, or browse the gallery to stand in solidarity.