Many people with autism face challenges in their daily lives, but with the right support and resources, they can lead fulfilling and meaningful lives. One of the biggest misconceptions about autism is that people with this disorder cannot lead "normal" lives. However, this is far from the truth.
Long-term research that involved following a group of individuals with autism for two decades indicates that the average life expectancy for some autistic people is about 39 years. Furthermore, this population generally succumbed to health complications about 20 years earlier than individuals who do not have autism.
Some adults with autism have successful careers in demanding fields such as information technology, robotics, and video game production. Some work part-time while also taking advantage of day programs and resources. Some are unable to function in the workplace and spend their days in sheltered settings.
While some people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will never be able to live and function independently, those on the high-functioning end of the spectrum are often able to go to college, find jobs, and live on their own.
Yes, autistic people can have kids.
Parents with autism may need extra support and resources in order to provide appropriate care for their children, but studies show that they are capable of raising healthy, happy families.
Adults with autism can be great parents or guardians. While a person with moderate or severe autism is unlikely to have the skills to raise a child, many people with high-functioning autism are ready, willing, and able, to take on the challenges of raising kids.
Compared to men, women are generally required to be more impaired by their autism or have more cognitive or behavioral conditions than their male counterparts to meet autism spectrum criteria.
Adults with autism commonly have a range of challenges with regard to neuropsychological functions, including difficulties with social cognition, memory, executive functioning, and motor coordination, which can impact their ability to navigate the complexities of adult independence 4.
For very severely disabled individuals, there is usually "residential" funding available for group homes or other settings. For moderately to mildly disabled adults, however, funding is a little trickier. The reality is that most young adults with autism (80%) wind up living with their parents after high school.
As a non-autistic person, it might be difficult to support your autistic partner. They may communicate in a different way to you, or find it hard to express their needs and desires. To help you with this, we've put together a list of handy tips and resources for non-autistic partners of autistic people.
Early medical challenges may slow development, but most children are able to catch up to their same-age peers.
Main signs of autism
getting very anxious about social situations. finding it hard to make friends or preferring to be on your own. seeming blunt, rude or not interested in others without meaning to. finding it hard to say how you feel.
Of the deaths in individuals with autism, 28 percent were attributed to injury, most often by suffocation, followed by asphyxiation, and drowning.
Can Level 1 Autism Be Cured? Autism of any level is a lifetime condition; there is currently no known cure. However, it is possible to help autistic individuals achieve a higher quality of life. Early diagnosis and clinical intervention are crucial for the best outcomes.
A child with ASD can be challenging—they may be restless; have trouble sleeping, eating or speaking; experience seizures; or have meltdowns born of frustration or overstimulation. Expectations for a “normal” life may need to be adjusted.
Because of the nature of their autism, an autistic child may not respond to the death of someone close to them in the same way as other children but this does not mean they are not grieving. This information covers some of the challenges bereaved autistic children may face, and ideas for what might help.
Being an Autistic parent is hard. Life for any parent is already EXHAUSTING. Add in navigating all the demands of parenting with being Autistic, and… it's not easy. First, there is the sensory nightmare of how incredibly loud these small, unpredictable people can be.
Just like neurotypical individuals, the future of people with ASD depends on their strengths, passions and skillsets. It is important to understand that a diagnosis of ASD does not mean that your child cannot make friends, date, go to college, get married, become a parent, and/or have a satisfying lucrative career.
Some individuals with autism remain in their parents' home far into their adult years. Sometimes families receive respite care where a professional comes to the home and provides support services to allow the parents to attend to their own personal, recreational, or social activities.
Can Autism Get Worse If It's Not Treated? Yes, negative symptoms associated with autism can worsen over tie when autism goes untreated, if someone's disorder is misdiagnosed or if the diagnosis is delayed. Children may not have the resources they need to develop sufficient social skills if their autism goes untreated.
Boys and girls seem to have different thresholds for damage to autism risk genes. While boys with relatively little damage to autism risk genes may develop the disorder, girls typically only develop autism when they have mutations—sometimes in the same genes—that scientists describe as “devastating.”
Research suggests that autism genes are usually inherited from the father, despite some research showing it's passed down from the mother.
Certain genetic variants are linked to a higher chance of a child being somewhere on the spectrum. Also, it takes fewer variants to predispose a boy to developing autism than it does a girl.