Ageing when being Autistic

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Geurts, Hilde M; Charlton, Rebecca A and Bishop, Lauren. 2021. Ageing when being Autistic. In: Michelle Putnam and Christine Bigby, eds. Handbook on Ageing with Disability. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 148-157. ISBN 9781138611498 [Book Section]

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Official URL: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.432...

Abstract or Description

Researchers have only recently begun to explore how people diagnosed with an autism spectrum condition are affected by the normative ageing processes. As such, very little is known about the experiences of ageing in autistic adults. This chapter explores some of the most recent research on late adulthood in autistic adults. More specifically it is concerned with how the process of ageing affects the health and well-being of people with autism spectrum condition. The chapter outlines how there has been an ongoing discussion about how best to measure well-being in autistic adults while also accounting for the impact of their specific lived experiences. By providing an overview of recent qualitative and quantitative data, this chapter argues that older autistic adults encounter a wide range of physical and mental health challenges typically associated with ageing, which has implications for anyone supporting, or working with older people with autism.

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Book Section