Purpose: Research documents poor outcomes for autistic adults in the domains of employment, independent living, and social relationships. Measurement and sample limitations in prior studies may have amplified past estimates of poor outcomes. The goal of the current study was to improve upon past approaches and to create and describe a measurement…

To explore issues surrounding re-consenting youth in longitudinal studies as they reach legal adulthood interviews were conducted with 46 parents plus 13 autistic teens enrolled in the Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge (SPARK) study. Qualitative analysis focused on family sensitivities regarding guardianship decisions,…

In Sweden, people living independently and requiring daily living support can access 'housing support', a form of practical, educational, and social support provided by the municipalities. About two-thirds of those receiving this support have neurodevelopmental conditions, primarily autism or ADHD. Many are young adults in the process of adapting…

Autistic adults are often challenged to engage in and complete life skill tasks independently and are underrepresented in employment. No prior study has explored the perceptions of autistic individuals regarding K-12 life skills experiences and postsecondary employment. As such, the purposes of this study were to explore the association between…

Autistic individuals often struggle to successfully navigate emerging adulthood (EA). College is an increasingly common context in which individuals learn and hone the necessary skills for adulthood. The goal of this paper is to systematically review and assess the existing research on college as a context of EA development in autistic…

The course of 187 individuals ages 3-21 years with Autistic Disorder was traced through a period of 20 years (enrollment: 1995-1998, follow up: 2014-2019). Specific genetic and environmental causes were identified in only a minority. Intellectual disability coexisted in 84%. Few became independent with 99% living at home with relatives, in…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder, impacting social communication and in some individuals, aspects of language such as vocabulary diversity. However, we have only a limited understanding of the verbal language abilities of adults with ASD. The present longitudinal study examined conversational language and…

Postsecondary education (PSE) programs serving individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) aim to improve life outcomes by increasing skills in three key areas: academics, independent living, and employment. To ensure that PSE programs are successful, ongoing evaluations are necessary. It is particularly important to gather parental…

Autistic adults have decreased independence in community mobility and driving, which is associated with decreased participation in work, education and community participation. This is the first exploration of the development of community mobility, driving and participation skills over adolescence and emerging adulthood. Interviews with 15 mothers…

This paper offers an overview of the current status of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and developmental disorders (DD) in Oman. A review of demographic and background information about Oman is first presented, followed by an overview of the current status of individuals with autism and developmental disorders, in terms of…

The aim of this retrospective study was to retrace the trajectories and long-term outcomes of individuals with autism in France, and to explore the family experiences. Data obtained from parents enables us to follow the trajectories of 76 adults. Two-thirds of adults with severe autism had a very poor outcome. Those with moderate autism had a…

A common presumption of secondary education is that what occurs in-school impacts students after they exit school. Previous researchers found transition-services received in school by students with autism spectrum disorder predicted their post-school success with regards to employment and independent living. This secondary analysis of the National…

Little is known about adult siblings of individuals with autism. We report on cognitive, social and mental health outcomes in 87 adult siblings (mean age 39 years). When younger all had been assessed either as being "unaffected" by autism (n = 69) or as meeting criteria for the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (BAP, n = 18). As…

This study aims to extend the definition of quality of life (QoL) for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 180, ages 23-60) by: (1) characterizing the heterogeneity of normative outcomes (employment, independent living, social engagement) and objective QoL (physical health, neighborhood quality, family contact, mental health issues); and…

Novel management strategies for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) propose providing interventions before diagnosis. We performed a cost-effectiveness analysis comparing the costs and dependency-free life years (DFLYs) generated by pre-diagnosis intensive Early Start Denver Model (ESDM-I); pre-diagnosis parent-delivered ESDM (ESDM-PD); and the Ontario…