Pros and Cons of Rural Living

As one study has shared (Preece, D. 2021), living with autism in remote or rural settings have their own set of benefits and challenges. The following are a few excerpts that may be helpful to a family with a newly diagnosed child on the spectrum as they decide how best to move forward for their family.

“Families identified aspects of rural living, which they felt were particularly beneficial regarding autism. The closeness of community life meant that the needs of their child with autism were acknowledged and accepted, providing a sense of security, while the low population density allowed physical space and opportunities for seclusion. The openness of the physical space is especially important for individuals with autism who might have specific sensory needs and might feel anxious or overwhelmed in crowded urban environments.” 

One mother from the study says, "Being rural it’s quite quiet so we can go to places that are quiet and so he can just do his thing - there’s not lots of people getting in his way or distracting him or whatever, and I know where the safe places are. That’s beneficial."

Regarding living by the coast, another mother says, "I like the open space; I know the boys do too. It’s just nice that if they are close to meltdown, you can just pile them in the car and chuck them down on a beach or go out to some woods and it’s all easy access."

This doesn't mean that a rural setting is without drawbacks. The study faces the reality of living in remote areas as well. "The physical isolation that is part of the appeal of rural and coastal areas can also mean that settlements are far away from services. While this may be an issue for families in general, this can impact even more greatly upon families with children with autism, who may both need access to specialized services and also find accessing general services difficult because of the needs of their children."

"Public transport is limited and often inadequate. Public transport is an issue," states one of the parents.

The brother of one of the autistic children states, "There’s absolutely no youth groups in this village at all. The nearest one’s about seven miles that way, or eleven miles that way, or fifteen miles that way. So it’s just the transport. If we can’t get the transport, we can’t get anywhere."

What does this mean when deciding whether or not moving to a rural environment would be beneficial to an autistic child? In short, do your homework. Town websites, local sensus, google, map quest, and information on real estate websites are all useful tools when researching different areas to live. Where are the nearest in-network medical and counseling providers? How are the schools rated for their special education/disability programs? Are there outdoor parks available for the child? Is there public transportation in the area? Are there recreation centers available to other children in the family to give them an outlet as well? Decide the most important pros and cons for the whole family will help everyone have a better experience on the spectrum.