Fredericksburg Parent

22 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • April 2024 22 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • April 2024 Making the Transi on From School to Adulthood autism autism Nancy Masannat is a life coach and mother to Kyle, her 22-year-old son with low-functioning autism. She's an author as well, having recently published her first book "Your Mindset Matters: Mindset Strategies for Parents of Children with Autism." "My son was diagnosed with autism in 2000. We had recently moved to Fredericksburg, and within four months he was diagnosed," she explains. "My job as my kid's mom is to improve his quality of life and give him the independence that he's able to have at his level." Kyle is non-verbal, so for him the transition and the help he needs may look different from other autistic children. An estimated one out of 45 adults in the U.S., about 5.4 million people, have Autism Spectrum Disorder, according to the CDC. A lot of focus is put on young children with autism, especially those newly diagnosed, but the transition to adulthood can be difficult, and the resources available to them often aren't as robust. Nancy acknowledges that it can be difficult to think that far ahead when they're young. "It's hard to move from the here and now," she says. "You get caught up in meltdowns and school meetings and it's terrifying to think what your kid's life is going to look like when you're gone." Looking ahead to their adulthood, though, even if it's years away, is necessary. That feel- ing, acknowledging your fears and uncertainty, and how to navigate them, was the impetus for Nancy's book. WRITTEN BY ANN HERREN adulting adulting and

• Cover