Autistic and Ageing – Part 1: When later-life changes have different outcomes for autistic adults

Autistic people are ageing into later life in growing numbers. In this series of 3 blogs, “older adulthood” refers to later life from around age 60 onwards. Research on older autistic adults is developing, and existing studies indicate that later-life wellbeing can be influenced by sensory and communication access needs, preferences for predictability and routine, life-course experiences (including late diagnosis), and the accessibility of health and aged care systems. This first blog outlines how later-life changes may have different consequences for autistic adults.

Later life commonly involves increased health care contact, role and relationship transitions, and changes in living circumstances. These changes can have different practical consequences for autistic adults when they interact with access needs, coping resources, and service fit. Older cohorts also include many people diagnosed later in life, which can shape help-seeking, trust in services, and whether distress is recognised accurately rather than misattributed to ageing or personality.

• Service fit and health care exposure: Increased contact with health and aged care systems can be more demanding when environments are sensory-intensive and communication is time-limited or ambiguous. Continuity of care can reduce burden by improving predictability and limiting repeated retelling.
• Sensory environments and cumulative load: Later life can increase exposure to high-load environments, including medical and supported living contexts. For some people, age-related sensory change and cumulative health burden may increase everyday load, particularly when environments cannot be adjusted.
• Routine disruption and transitions: Retirement, bereavement, relocation, and changes in living arrangements can destabilise routines. Where routine and predictability support wellbeing, disruption may be associated with downstream effects on energy, self-care, and participation.
• Cumulative stress and camouflaging: Some autistic adults report long-term camouflaging and compensation. For some people, reduced reserve associated with fatigue and health burden may make sustained camouflaging harder, increasing visible distress in demanding contexts.
• Life-course context and late diagnosis: Many older autistic adults were not diagnosed in childhood and may have experienced decades of misunderstanding or unmet needs. This context can shape trust in services and whether distress is recognised accurately rather than misattributed to ageing or personality.

Across these domains, later-life wellbeing is often influenced by modifiable factors, including service barriers, environmental load, unmanaged pain, unwanted isolation, and limited communication access.

Upcoming webcast: Autism and Ageing (20 February 2026)

This webinar is designed to increase awareness and knowledge about the experiences, achievements, and concerns of autistic adults aged 60 years and older. It brings together emerging research on ageing in autism with longitudinal clinical insights from decades of practice, with the aim of supporting wellbeing and improving quality of life for autistic seniors.

In this webcast, you will learn about:

• Abilities, wellbeing, identity, and outlook on life in autistic adults over 60
• How autistic characteristics may change in later life, and factors that may influence these changes
• Changing support needs in older adulthood and implications for services working with older people
• Protective and risk factors relevant to physical and mental health in later life

Who this webcast is for: autistic adults, families, supporters, and services working in disability, health, and aged care who want practical, informed guidance for supporting ageing well.