Demographic and Cognitive Profile of Individuals Seeking a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adulthood

Little is known about ageing with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We examined the characteristics of adults referred to a specialist diagnostic centre for assessment of possible ASD, 100 of whom received an ASD diagnosis and 46 did not. Few demographic differences were noted between the groups. Como...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2016-11, Vol.46 (11), p.3469-3480
Main Authors:	Happé, Francesca G., Mansour, Hassan, Barrett, Pippa, Brown, Tony, Abbott, Patricia, Charlton, Rebecca A.
Format:	Article
Language:	eng
Subjects:	Adolescent Adult Adults Age Age Differences Age Factors Aging Analysis of Variance Anxiety Autism Autism Spectrum Disorder - classification Autism Spectrum Disorder - diagnosis Autism Spectrum Disorder - epidemiology Autism Spectrum Disorder - psychology Autism Spectrum Disorders Autistic children Behavior disorders Behavioral Science and Psychology Child and School Psychology Clinical Diagnosis Clinical medicine Cognitive Ability Cognitive development Cognitive Dysfunction - classification Cognitive Dysfunction - diagnosis Cognitive Dysfunction - epidemiology Cognitive Dysfunction - psychology Comorbidity Control Groups Coping Coping strategies Demographic aspects Diagnosis Female Humans Individual Characteristics Intellectual disabilities Life span Longitudinal Studies Male Medical diagnosis Mental depression Mental Disorders Mental Disorders - classification Mental Disorders - diagnosis Mental Disorders - epidemiology Mental Disorders - psychology Mental health Middle Aged Neurosciences Older people Original Paper Pediatrics Pervasive Developmental Disorders Psychiatry Psychology Public Health Referral and Consultation Self evaluation Self Report Severity Severity (of Disability) Studies Symptoms (Individual Disorders) Young Adult
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Summary:	Little is known about ageing with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We examined the characteristics of adults referred to a specialist diagnostic centre for assessment of possible ASD, 100 of whom received an ASD diagnosis and 46 did not. Few demographic differences were noted between the groups. Comorbid psychiatric disorders were high in individuals with ASD (58 %) and non-ASD (59 %). Individuals who received an ASD diagnosis had higher self-rated severity of ASD traits than non-ASD individuals. Within the ASD group, older age was associated with higher ratings of ASD traits and better cognitive performance. One interpretation is that general cognitive ability and the development of coping strategies across the lifespan, do not necessarily reduce ASD traits but may mitigate their effects.
ISSN:	0162-3257 1573-3432