Autism doesn’t get better or worse with age, nor can you grow out of autism. Autism isn’t like a pair of shoes which you have to break in for maximum comfort and, regardless of what you’ve heard, the idea that one day you can wake up no longer autistic, never is, never was and never will be true.
But autism does change and autistic people do develop, I mean it wasn’t long ago that I was a 4ft Chernobyl, but look at me now, 6ft 3 and not a meltdown in sight (at least, that’s how it appears). So, what is it that is really influencing these ideas that autism gets better/worse with age and how does autism change during the different stages of life development?
What Does Autism Development Look Like?
Let’s get one thing clear before we continue, autism isn’t something which can get ‘better’ or ‘worse’ because, quite frankly, that is not how autism works. Autism is a lifelong balancing act of multiple different quirks. So, when we say an autistic person is doing ‘better’, we really mean that we are learning to embrace our alternative mindsets, whilst doing worse is letting our unique potential be restricted by:
- Social deficits
- Anxiety
- Restricted and repetitive behaviours
Additionally, when looking at opportunities for autistic people, it should be noted that while all autistic people orbit the same spectrum, not all of us have access to the same space. Therefore, ‘better’ might mean learning to follow social norms but could just as easily mean learning how to operate a knife and fork– both of these are achievements to be proud of and, as such, should be treated no less different.
“But what about all those stories of ‘the kid who overcame autism’?” you may ask. Well, although it’s not uncommon to find stories along these lines in magazines which appear in dentist waiting rooms, the reality is that in 71% of cases where an autistic person ‘loses their diagnosis’, it is often that they were never autistic to begin with, and that this came from an initial misdiagnosis.
Keeping all these things in mind will help set your expectations when learning to understand how autism changes with age and it will also keep you safe online from scams that want to sell you poisons masquerading as revolutionary autism pills and potions.
Does Autism Get Better or Worse During Early-Development?
When charting the early development of children, it’s not unfair to say things start a little rocky for members of our community. This is clear for 77% of autistic children, where early reports have found that, around the age of 19 months (and in some circumstances much later), a child may slow down in meeting their milestones or may appear to regress in their communication ability.
Known as regressive autism, this change can be both fast or gradual for the child experiencing it and, despite how it sounds, this isn’t when a child suddenly stumbles back into autism. Instead, it is theorised that regressive autism is caused by:
- The already autistic child becoming more aware and subsequently stressed by their surroundings
- When our autistic minds essentially activate and launch our alterative thinking
- NOT the MMR vaccine or any other idea you found by taking a wrong turn online
This kind of regressive development isn’t solely a sign of autism, however, as experiences like this are also common in many other conditions, such as Landau Kleffner Syndrome. Equally, not everyone with autism will experience early development regression as was my case where, despite hitting all the usual developmental milestones early, telltales signs like disengagement and isolated play would eventually give the game away.
Does Autism Get Better or Worse During Mid-Development?
But autism can get better, right? I mean, we’ve all heard a story about someone who seemingly shook off the spectrum; the boy who went from not being able to speak to suddenly being unable to shut up, or the girl whose obsession with Harry Potter one day magically disappeared.
Well, the truth here is that, in 21% of these examples, there is a lot more than meets the eye; as what might sound like an overnight success to an outsider, actually comes from a lot of blood, sweat and tears, usually beginning with early diagnosis and followed by years of trial and error.
I say ‘trial and error’ because, as is always the case with autism, not only does the success of learning coping tactics vary from person to person but, what might work one day, might suddenly stop the next. As such, it’s crucial to note that learning to manage negative autism traits can often be an uphill marathon where, by the end, you feel drained physically (and potentially financially).
Furthermore, in many cases where certain challenging traits are held at bay by some form of a crutch, it’s not uncommon for them to manifest and mutate in different ways. Take, for example, the boy who found his voice, he will probably now spend extensive hours recharging his batteries after socialising, whilst the girl who abandoned Hogwarts may have moved on to some other fixation, such as work or a hobby.
This was certainly the case with my experience, where meltdowns as a result of unexpected change were nonstop though my childhood and, though I am now less visibly shaken by a sudden alteration, my mental health can often be shot as a result of not being able to express my distress in my body’s preferred way.
Does Autism Get Better or Worse During Adulthood and Beyond?
Autism as a condition is still rather fresh-faced when it comes to the pantheon of medical diagnosis. This is because, while understanding of autism has been explored since the 1940s, it wasn’t until the late 70s/80s when rates really took off. This means that, while we can expect our understanding of autism and ageing to pick up (as many of our autism forefathers spend the next decade reaching their golden years), right now, this understanding is more a work in progress.
Nevertheless, what we have come to understand from autistic people who received a diagnosis in the later stages of life, is that adulthood can be an exceptionally liberating/challenging time for people on the spectrum; as many of us will finally achieve a better sense of identity, only to age out of many of the support services which helped us receive this realisation.
Of course, while there is evidence to suggest that older autistic people are less likely to adapt (which is why autism support is often aimed at younger more malleable minds), this is not always the case as, autistic or not, people become more steadfast and stubborn as they age – as can be seen from the countless hours I have wasted teaching relatives over 60 to operate an iPhone!
Furthermore, anecdotal accounts from children of autistic people have found that, in later stages of autistic life, coping strategies which have taken a lifetime to perfect can tragically become the first victim to conditions such as:
- Alzheimer’s
- Dementia
- Huntington’s Disease
If you are autistic or you have an autistic loved one who develops a degenerating disorder, then it is crucial that specialised support can be received. This could be via a live-in caregiver or a residential home and can be discussed with a medical practitioner for further advice.
Additional Factors Influencing Autism Development
I like to think that autism gets better with time, regardless of when you were born or the place you sit on the spectrum as, for the most part, universal autism understanding and acceptance seems to only improve, elevating all autistic life as its goes. However, we’re not quite in the clear just yet, as can be seen by a breakdown of certain demographics.
For example, while early autism diagnosis seems to be key for getting the correct support in place as soon as possible, this opportunity seems to be much less accessible when it comes B.A.M.E communities (Black, Asian, Mixed or Ethnic). This can be seen in how, despite autism quirks varying little between heritages, white autistic kids are often more likely to have a concrete coping mechanism by adulthood.
Similarly, families of low income have also been reported to experience less development than those of upper or middle pay brackets showing that, in certain locals, care is more easily accessed by those who have the deepest pockets.
So does autism get better or worse with age? Well, as these unfortunate comparisons demonstrate, yes our traits and quirks can alter over time, but achieving the preferred results is reliant on how much help we can access. This means that, when seeking to make things better and give autist their best life, we now live in a world where this is an option. However, making sure that those options are available to everyone regardless, of age, ethnicity or income, is still a barrier we are yet to break.
Carry on the Conversation
What has been your experience of the impact of autism over time? Let me know in the comments below. And, if you would like to learn about the many different types of autism then check out this article titled: What are the Different Types of Autism? The MANY Autism Types Explained
As always, I can also be found on Twitter @AutismRevised and via my email: AutisticandUnapologetic@gmail.com.
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Thank you for reading and I will see you next week for more thoughts from across the spectrum.
