Family guide to young adulthood
Your companion for ages 18 - 24
Early adulthood is a time of opportunity and change, when young people often set a course for the rest of their lives. Young adults with CHDs have widely varying experiences. They may live independently, in a dorm, in a group home, or with parents. They may start a job, enter an 18-22 program, do a sheltered work program, or enroll in college. As young adults and their families navigate these years, they are often guided by common human needs for community, contribution, dignity, and agency.
Starting with the basics
Do you want to make sure you are helping yourself or your young adult child to support healthy functioning? Are you unsure where to start? We've done the work for you! We've highlighted some of the most important tasks and decisions of early adulthood for many young people with CHDs.
Understanding domains of functioning
As children grow up, they develop in multiple skill areas at the same time. We call these skill areas “domains of development.” Adults are not necessarily still developing in all the domains, so we can call them "domains of functioning."
Some young adults function pretty evenly across domains. Others have areas of significant strength and weakness.
When you think about yourself or your adult child, it can help to consider what supports could help within each domain.
Think includes understanding, recognizing patterns, solving problems, learning. It is also called “cognitive development.”
Move includes using arms and legs, using hands, balance, coordination, strength. It is also called “motor development.”
Talk includes speaking or signing, listening, understanding, communicating. It is also called “language development.”
Connect includes understanding other people, social skills, relationships. It is also called “social development.”
Feel includes self-regulation, understanding emotions, managing feelings. It is also called “emotional development.”
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Exploring domains of functioning
Cognition is how a person learns, thinks, solves problems, and understands. The brain is not mature until a person is about 25, and young adults are still steadily developing more sophisticated ways to think.
In early adulthood, most people learn to solve complex problems in multiple possible ways. They are able to think about big ideas, and explain how different people could have different understandings of them. They can evaluate ideas, and explain their own beliefs.
Young adults usually also get much better at planning, organizing, and making decisions that are good in the long-term. They are able to consider the consequences of their actions, and make choices that make sense.
By the time a person is in their mid-20’s, their brain is “grown up.” They can still always learn new skills and ideas, but the way they think is unlikely to change significantly.
Typical cognitive skills of early adulthood
Most young adults learn how to:
Make and follow multi-year plans
Manage the tasks of a household
Learn and complete the tasks of a job
Read and understand almost any text
xplain logical reasoning
Evaluate whether they agree with an idea
Explain complicated ideas clearly
Follow complex directions
Consider many sides of an issue
Determine if an argument makes sense
Do the math necessary for their daily life
Learn, organize, and remember a lot of information on many topics
Cognitive challenges, delays, and differences
Young adults with CHDs sometimes face challenges that can affect their cognitive skills.
Young adults may have cognitive differences if they:
Are often sick or in the hospital
Have frequent medical procedures
Take medications that affect brain function
Cannot do many of the things their peers do
Miss a lot of school
Have a brain injury
Have a genetic syndrome that affects brain development
Have an intellectual disability (ID)
The cognitive profiles of young adults are unlikely to change very much. This means that if they are well behind their peers in thinking and learning, they are likely to remain behind. If they struggle slightly in a few areas, they are likely to continue struggling slightly.
However, adults can always continue gaining skills. Their brains are still growing, and will not be mature until they are about 25 years old. Intervention can help young adults to continue learning, growing, and finding success.
When an adult has a cognitive difference, they might:
Have trouble understanding ideas that most other adults understand
Read or write at a level lower than most adults
Not understand the math that is usually taught in high school
Take longer than most people to answer questions or finish tasks
Need help with organizing or planning
Learn new skills or information more slowly than most people
Forget things more easily than most people
Need help taking care of themselves
Need help with daily living tasks
Have trouble with job skills
If you notice that you or your child are struggling in these ways, you should talk to your doctor about your concerns. Remember: everyone can learn, and help is always available.
Inclusive College Programs
Do you or your child have an intellectual disability (ID)? Are you wondering if people with an ID can attend college?
College is not right for everyone, whether or not they have a disability. Some people without disabilities go to college, and others go into the workforce or train for a vocation. Some people with ID have no desire to go to college, but others do.
Keep reading to learn more about inclusive college programs. They are not right for everyone, but maybe they are right for you.
How you can support thinking and learning
Even though brains are “grown-up” by the time a person is about 25, people can always keep learning.
Learning new skills is good for brain health and overall wellbeing. Here are some ideas for continuing growth and keeping thinking sharp into adulthood.
Services to support thinking and learning
Are you a young adult at college or vocational school? Do you have some questions about how to advocate for yourself as a learner?
Or are you a parent, thinking about your adult child? Do you wonder how to support them in achieving their goals?
Young adults with CHDs often continue to need some support in order to meet their goals. Some young adults require intensive support in many areas of their lives, and others just need a few accommodations.
Interventions for development
Young adults are still developing, and their brains are not mature until they are in their mid- to late-20's.
Throughout adulthood, services and interventions can help people to earn new skills and concepts, make up for lost ground, and reach their goals.
Explore the selected interventions below, search our resources, or visit our Power of Intervention page. Help is always available.
Do you have a heart story?
Are you a young adult with a CHD? Are you the parent or sibling or a young adult with a CHD? Do you have a story about how intervention can improve quality of life? We would love to hear it!
Email cnpschedulingandquestions@childrens.harvard.edu to share your story. Maybe we can feature it here!
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