Adult Support and Transition Services
Helping Autistic Adults Thrive Through Life’s Big Transitions
Navigating the transition to adulthood can be extremely challenging. We partner with families and organizations to support non-speaking autistic individuals through transitions. We offer customized evaluations, collaborative consultation, parent coaching, team training, and direct speech therapy—all tailored to help your loved one maintain and grow their communication skills during and after transitions. Whether you're preparing for college, a day program, or supported employment, we’re here to make sure communication and connection remain at the forefront of their life experience.
Who This Program is For
We support autistic adults and adults with developmental disabilities, especially those who are non-speaking and use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC), who are preparing for or currently experiencing a major life transition. Whether your child is transitioning to adulthood, entering a new day program, starting supported employment, or exploring other adult services, we’re here to help make communication a central part of their success.
What’s included in our transition support program
1. Customized Communication Evaluation
Our process begins with asking questions. First we will get to know you, your child, and your family to understand your goals, fears, and current levels of communication. Then we will conduct a thorough review of your child’s current placement as well as their future placements. We will interview staff, care-partners, and other members of the team to determine levels of support and staff training that are needed. From this initial evaluation we will make recommendations for ongoing support moving forward and establish a plan of care.
2. Plan of Care
Supporting adults in transition requires support across people and environments. After the initial evaluation our team will establish who needs support and where that support is needed. We will devise a plan of care with recommendations to address these needs using a mix of options:
Parent Coaching: Our therapists will work with parents and family members offering practice strategies and supports. Our goal for parent coaching is creating supportive relationships with your child where parents and caregivers feel confident and competent supporting communication at home and during transitions.
Team Training: We collaborate with educators, dayhab staff, residential staff, job coaches, other support staff, and program teams to build a shared understanding of communication needs for the individual. Supporting the people on your child’s team is a critical piece of preventing gaps in communication support during transitions.
Ongoing Consultation: Consultative services are often the key to bridging gaps during transition. After the initial evaluation and any recommended trainings, our team will meet regularly with all relevant team members to ensure consistency of communication supports and progress towards identified goals. These meetings can take place in person or via telehealth. In most instances parents and primary care-partners play the role of liason and point person throughout consultation.
Traditional / Hybrid Speech Therapy: Occasionally, traditional speech therapy can be helpful during transitions. Usually if speech therapy is recommended by your treating therapist it will be offered in conjunction with parent coaching, team training, and consultation.
Why this matters
The research is clear: systems of support for autistic individuals transitioning to adulthood is critical, and yet there are tremendous barriers to access these supports.
“Participants with [Complex Communication Needs] stressed the importance of various supports during their transition into adulthood, including, parents, family, friends, community service organizations, personal care assistants, high school teachers, transition teams, and classroom aids” (Batorowicz et al., 2024, p. 78)*
“Restricted levels of collaboration and fragmented communication among schools, families, and community agencies providing services to autistic youth have been frequently cited as a challenge to the transition process” (Chun et al., 2021, p. 2)*
Communication is essential for connection, autonomy, and self-advocacy. Our goal is to ensure your child transitions to / in adulthood with consistent, supported, and meaningful ways to express themselves.
* Batorowicz, B., Mamo, K., Meadows, T., Fecica, A., & Renner, G. (2025). Transition to adulthood for individuals with complex communication needs: A scoping review. OTJR: Occupation, Participation and Health, 45(1), 66–84. https://doi.org/10.1177/15394492241271162
* Chun, J., Kuo, H. J., Curtiss, S. L., Lee, G. K., Lee, H., & Awadu, J. (2023). The interplay of supports and barriers during the transition to adulthood for youth on the autism spectrum. Disability and Rehabilitation, 45(18), 2879–2889. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2022.2112097
Funding
There are several options when funding adult transition services. GTC Therapy utilizes a combination of insurance based funding and private pay, depending on the services provided. We have an in house billing department that can help answer questions about your particular insurance and funding options.
GTC Therapy is in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Cigna, Aetna, Mass General Brigham, Tufts, Fallon, Wellsense, and MassHealth. For private pay rates please schedule an intake or call our office at 978-254-1002.
Customized Communication Evaluation
Evaluations are often covered by insurance. We encourage you to call your insurance company to verify your coverage.
Billing Codes Used for Evaluations:
92523 (Speech & Language evaluation)
92607 (Prescription of Device, 60 minutes)
92608 (Prescription of Device, 15 additional minutes)
Parent Coaching, Team Training, & Consultation
Some insurance providers will cover parent coaching, team training, and consultation, however many will not. We encourage families to call their insurance providers to ask if the codes below are covered.
Billing Codes Used for Parent Coaching & Training
97550 (First 30 minutes)
97551 (Each additional 15 minutes)
Speech Therapy
If you’re therapist recommends this as part of your transitional plan of care it will likely be covered by insurance. We encourage you to call your insurance company to verify your coverage.
Billing codes used for Speech Therapy & AAC Programming
92507 (Speech Therapy)
92608 (AAC Programming)