ABSTRACT
Aging with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an understudied, yet emergent phenomenon. More and more children and adults receive ASD diagnoses each year, but healthcare, social service systems, employment, and other infrastructures remain ill-equipped to support this population as they age. The chapter uses the World Health Organization and AARP’s “Age-Friendly Community” framework to identify challenges and supports available to individuals aging with ASD. The “Age-Friendly Community” framework includes eight domains of livability, including respect and social inclusion, community support and health services, social participation, transportation, housing, outdoor spaces and buildings, civic participation and employment, and communication and information. Though widely recognized and accepted as the gold standard of inclusion and accessible living in the aging field, this is the first known application of the framework to the population aging with ASD, specifically. Adults with ASD experience social, communication, and social challenges, and thus, navigate aging services and their communities with a different lens--often facing disproportionate health and mental health challenges. This chapter explores what it means to age with ASD and also includes four case studies of adults with ASD, as well as related questions to provide real-life examples of struggles and resiliency of those aging with ASD.
