Parallel age-related cognitive effects in autism: A cross-sectional replication study.

The study measured different people at different ages, not the same people over time, so cohort effects and diagnostic changes over decades could influence the result. The sample excluded people with intellectual disability, neurological disorders, and those unable to take part, so it says little about more disabled or medically complex autistic adults. Some autistic participants scored below the ADOS-2 cut-off, although excluding them did not change the pattern. Recruitment of adults over 70, especially women, was difficult, so the study cannot answer whether aging effects differ by sex. The autism group had lower education than comparisons, and the researchers did not correct for education because the original study did not. The sample was generally highly educated and had high IQ scores, so results may not apply to autistic adults with lower education or intellectual disability. Executive functioning was only partly covered, through verbal fluency and working memory, so other functions important for daily life were not fully assessed.

The authors declared no conflict of interest. The article is listed as supported by non-U.S. government research.

Do not conclude that autism causes either faster or slower cognitive aging. The main age-related result was null, and the study compared different people at different ages rather than following the same people over time.