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This study investigated the role of acceptance during the transition process among autistic young adults, parents, and practitioners. Six focus groups were run and thematic analysis was used to identify four themes: Youth on the autism spectrum discussed transition as a time where "Self-Advocacy and Self-Acceptance" were salient. Both youth and parents discussed the "Lack of Understanding and Acceptance" they experience. Particularly, youth highlighted the lack of understanding of sensory needs and parents underscored the lack of understanding by medical professionals. In contrast, practitioners highlighted the presence of "Community Openness." Both practitioners and parents discussed "Finding Personal Support through Acceptance." Self-acceptance and acceptance of autism are imperative for autistic young adults and families to achieve well-being.

Parental expectations are important for autistic youth during the transition to adulthood, but less is known about the expectations of other stakeholder groups. The current study examines the similarities and differences in expectations among autistic youth, parents, and professionals. Data were collected through six focus groups with 24 participants (7 parents, 11 professionals, and 6 young adults on the autism spectrum). Thematic analysis was used to identify five themes: "normative hopes," "living with uncertainty," "mismatch of reality and expectations," "impairments shape expectations," and "services dictate expectations." Autistic youth expressed the most optimism for the transition to adulthood. All stakeholder groups touched on the tension between matching expectations with abilities; however, only professionals indicated a direct relation between expectations and abilities. Both parents and professionals highlighted the role of service availability in shaping expectations.

Transition to adulthood is a complex process that involves important life domains such as education, work, independent living, community, health, and social relationships. Autistic youth face the transition with greater challenges than their peers, and there continues to have significant gaps in the services as they approach young adulthood. The study was conducted to understand the complex interplay between supports and barriers to participation in the transition process. Data was collected through six focus groups with 24 participants (7 parents, 11 practitioners, 6 autistic youth), digitally audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Four themes were reported: Inadequacy of Services, Ambivalence about Formal Services and Support, Understanding Good Partnership, and Evolving Parental Involvement. While parents and practitioners see the fragmented services and lack of comprehensive support as the most prominent challenge, autistic youth feel ambivalent about the type of services they need. Practitioners address the importance of establishing an appropriate level of engagement with parents in the transition process. Autistic youth expect their parents to set a boundary that affirms their independence. Our study highlights the need to elicit input across different stakeholders to make transition services centralized, easily accessible, and individualized. It is important to have a systematic road map, early preparation of families and autistic youth about the array of adult transition services, and a centralized hub of information to be disseminated. Disability service agencies should develop and implement plans for enhancing outreach and services to transition youth on the autism spectrum and their families. Practitioners need to identify locally available resources and channels for outreach and make available service more visible by producing transition-related materials with examples of current legislative information, problem solving, and best practices. Practitioners should consider how autistic youth identify their needs and wants may be different than how service providers and parents conceptualize them. It is critical to capitalize appropriate levels of caregivers/family support and engagement by provision of education about policies and guidelines for communication and collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive psychology is a subdomain that addresses the importance of human strengths and personal assets in individuals' well-being. The principles of positive psychology align with the philosophy of rehabilitation counseling by emphasizing individuals' strengths to promote psychosocial adjustment to disability. Considering the intersection between positive psychology and rehabilitation counseling, applying the positive psychology framework to rehabilitation counseling will be a promising foundation for improvement in services and outcomes. As the number of individuals on the autism spectrum increases, more innovative services are needed to keep abreast of their needs. This article discusses how positive psychology can be applied to the population of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and explores possible practices that can be replicated by practitioners to provide quality services for this emerging disability population. Implications for education and research are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]