Most of what is known about ASD comes from pediatrics. Only recently, maturational (adulthood) and aging (geriatric) aspects of ASD have been considered (Harrison, 2010).
The needs of older individuals with ASD (senior) differ from younger individuals on several levels (Edelson, 2016):
- Living/housing: They may have lived with aging parents and will need to consider a different living situation.
- Medical problems may become more pronounced. Additionally, many medical co-morbidities associated with ASD are also common in the elderly population in general, including gastrointestinal and immune issues, sleep problems, seizures, sensory sensitivities, and low bone density.
- Cognitive processes may also decline.
Perspectives on Living with ASD
From CDC’s 2017 Annual Autism Awareness Event
Daniel Share-Strom shares his inspiring perspective of an adult living with ASD.
Additional Resources
Diagnosis:
Aging with Autism by Autism Speaks: www.autismspeaks.org/wordpress-tags/aging-autism
Getting Older by the National Autism Society: www.autism.org.uk/about/adult-life/ageing.aspx