Beyond 18: In Europe - Future Proofing Your Neurodiverse Young Adult's Life

Your child is approaching adulthood. The system that supported them is about to disappear. What happens next?

For parents and carers of autistic, intellectually disabled, and neurodiverse young people across Europe, the transition to adult services is one of the most stressful periods a family will face. School ends. Paediatric teams withdraw. Statutory protections change — or vanish entirely. And in most countries, no one tells you what replaces them.

Beyond 18 in Europe is the comprehensive, country-by-country guide that finally bridges the gap.

Written by a specialist with nearly 20 years of experience supporting autistic individuals and their families across the UK, Ireland, and Europe, this 158-page guide covers everything families need to navigate the transition to adulthood — from age 14 through to long-term planning.

What's inside:

• Transition timelines — when to start planning, what triggers apply in your country, and how to build a 5-year rolling plan

• Legal decision-making — guardianship, supported decision-making, lasting powers of attorney, and the alternatives across the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, France, and the Netherlands

• Financial security — disability benefits, personal budgets, means testing, trusts, and protecting entitlements country by country

• Employment pathways — supported employment, social enterprises, sheltered workshops, self-employment, and EU quota systems

• Housing and independent living — supported living, shared lives, Housing First models, adaptations funding, and how to get on waiting lists early

• Healthcare transition — moving from paediatric to adult services, building a Medical Transition Packet, mental health continuity, and your rights under the EU Cross-Border Healthcare Directive

• Family dynamics — sibling conversations, inheritance planning without losing benefits, contingency planning, and the Legacy & Contingency Planner worksheet

• Long-term thriving — social inclusion, relationships, advocacy, quality of life monitoring, and knowing your rights under the UN CRPD and EU Disability Rights Strategy 2021–2030

Includes practical worksheets: Medical Transition Packet, Legacy & Contingency Planner, Transition Timeline Template, and more — all designed for real families navigating real systems.

Country-specific guidance for the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland), Republic of Ireland, Sweden, Germany, France, and the Netherlands — with EU-wide frameworks explained throughout.

Whether your young person has autism, an intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, or complex support needs — if they are approaching adulthood in Europe, this book was written for you.

From the creator of Lew's Sensory Therapy — trusted by over 42,000 families