Autism prevalence and outcomes in older adults

Abstract

Recent studies of mortality, illness, and suicide among autistic adults paint an alarming picture. Autistic people appear to die much earlier than the general population, and they seem to be far more vulnerable to a surprising range of medical problems. Suicide and depression seem far more common than in the general population. If correct, that suggests an older autistic population in silent crisis, with few if any supports. If so, older autistic people should be a focus for public health and human service agencies. But is the picture complete? Autism researchers ask for answers, identifying problems and their scope. This article discusses the limitations of our adult autism knowledge, and the challenges we will face studying adults. Researching and ultimately serving older autistic adults presents a unique set of problems that have not yet been addressed by scientists or clinicians. Autism Res 2019, 12: 370–374 © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary Public policy toward autistic people is driven by data. Most autism data to date have been derived from and about children, because autism tends to be identified and supported in the public school system. This has created a public perception of autism as a childhood problem. In fact, autism is a lifelong difference or disability, and recent studies suggest serious overlooked concerns for autistic adults. This commentary discusses how we have evaluated adult autism so far, limitations of our knowledge, and how we might evaluate adult needs going forward. The commentary makes a case for specific new adult prevalence and outcome studies to inform public policy.

Causes and consequences of delayed diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in forensic practice: a case series

“…Awareness of the condition has certainly improved, yet the area of adult ASD has been relatively neglected by research. Many adults with the condition are thought to remain unidentified (Robison, 2019). This lack of identification is underpinned by several reasons (Lewis, 2017), some of which relate to professional services and others which may relate to people with the condition themselves.…”

“…Adults with ASD are largely unrecognised by mental health services in the UK (Brugha et al, 2011). Only a small proportion of adults with ASD are thought to have a formal diagnosis (Robison, 2019) and it has been found that the older the person, the less likely they are to have been previously diagnosed with autism (Robison, 2019). This observation has led to the concept of a "lost generation" of individuals with ASD who have never received a formal diagnosis (Lai and Baron-Cohen, 2015).…”

Integrating Treatment for Autism: Etiology and Life Cycle

“…It is estimated that 1 in 75 people of all ages has ASD, however most outcome and prevention studies focus on the experiences of children with ASD [38]. Far less research is being conducted on the health of older adults with ASD.…”

The Efficacy of Early Start Denver Model Intervention in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Within Japan: A Preliminary Study

“…Recently, a similar study in Japan demonstrated that the adjusted rate of ASD could be as high as 3.22% [4]. As the incidence of ASD could be much higher than earlier estimates, and since individuals with ASD require continuous medical and welfare support throughout their lives depending on the severity of their ASD features [5], effective intervention strategies for subjects with ASD at an early life stage is an urgent necessity.…”