The Issue

South Carolina families raising autistic children and children with other disabilities deserve support systems that allow them to remain stable, employed, and active in their communities. Too many parents and caregivers are falling into the gaps between education, healthcare, Medicaid, workforce policies, housing, and social services.

Many caregivers have college degrees, certifications, professional licenses, and years of work experience. Yet they are often forced to reduce their hours, leave their careers, or lose their jobs because the supports their children need are unavailable, inconsistent, unaffordable, or tied to restrictive eligibility requirements.

Families should not have to reach a crisis before receiving meaningful help.

Autism support should not begin and end with a diagnosis or early childhood. Individuals on the autism spectrum require different levels of support throughout their lives. As children grow, their needs change, but many families find that services become harder—not easier—to access. Supports often decrease as children age, despite increasing challenges related to education, communication, mental health, employment preparation, independent living, healthcare, transportation, and community inclusion.

Many families also fall into service gaps. They may not qualify for Medicaid waivers or other public assistance, yet they cannot afford the thousands of dollars per year required for therapies, respite care, adaptive equipment, specialized educational supports, behavioral services, transportation, or caregiving assistance. Others remain on waiting lists for years while trying to meet their loved one’s daily needs without adequate support.

The burden frequently falls on parents and caregivers, many of whom leave the workforce or sacrifice career advancement simply because the systems designed to help their families are fragmented or inaccessible.

These challenges affect more than individual households. When caregivers are forced out of the workforce, South Carolina loses skilled professionals, businesses lose experienced employees, and families face greater financial instability. Strengthening disability supports benefits children, families, employers, and communities alike.

We are calling on South Carolina leaders to strengthen autism and disability supports across the lifespan by reducing eligibility gaps, expanding respite care, improving access to therapies and community-based services, increasing caregiver supports, improving educational and transition services, and ensuring families receive practical assistance before they reach a crisis.

Every autistic individual deserves the opportunity to thrive, and every family deserves a support system that makes that possible—not one that leaves them behind because they fall through the gaps.