S6 Ep8: Mind the Kids: Navigating the service cliff - Supporting autistic youth transition into adulthood

S6 Ep8: Mind the Kids: Navigating the service cliff - Supporting autistic youth transition into adulthood

From 'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast by The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health

March 11, 2026 · 44 min · Season 6 · Episode 8

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges faced by autistic youth transitioning to adulthood and the ASSIST program designed to support families in navigating these challenges.

For many families of autistic young people, leaving school feels less like a gentle transition and more like falling off a cliff into a fragmented, underfunded adult service system where no one is clearly in charge. In this Mind the Kids episode 'Navigating the service cliff - Supporting autistic youth transition into adulthood' , Mark Tebbs speaks with Professor Julie Lowndes Taylor from Vanderbilt University Medical Center about ASSIST (Advocating for SupportS to Improve Service Transition), a 12‑week parent advocacy programme designed to equip families with the knowledge, skills and confidence to navigate that maze.​ Drawing on a large multi-site randomised controlled trial of 185 families, they discuss how ASSIST weaves together national-level information on adult disability services with local expert input, how moving the programme online during COVID reshaped both accessibility and peer support, and what the data show about changes in parents’ advocacy skills, service knowledge and actual access to government-funded programmes. The conversation also looks ahead to next steps, including using the ASSIST curriculum to train peer navigators, tackling structural barriers such…

More episodes of 'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the 'Mind the Kids': an ACAMH podcast podcast page.