Autism in Older Adults

Abstract

Previously, autism had been predominantly labelled as a disorder of childhood, however, evidence now shows that autism is a lifelong condition. This assignment aims to explore autism in older adults by discussing the limitations of the current research and analysing challenges that may arise in an ageing population of autistic adults. Most research studies focus on autism in children, because generally autism tends to be identified at a young age, but there does not appear to be the same amount of interest in the children with autism who inevitably age into OAWA. The research is limited, but there are some recent studies which have been more focused on the OAWA age group. This assignment will explore the recent research which highlights numerous risks that OAWA are more susceptible to in comparison to the general population. The author will critically analyse the evidence of the risks associated with OAWA including neurodegenerative disease, psychiatric disorders and misdiagnosis and specific physical health conditions. The author will also discuss how current practice in working with autistic adults could be enhanced and improved upon in future practises.