The potential for successful autistic ageing: Proposing a lifespan developmental psychology approach.
Berthine Ommensen, Tony Attwood, Nancy A Pachana, Kate Sofronoff
PMID 41724671WHAT IT FOUND
This paper proposes a theoretical framework for understanding autistic ageing based on lifespan development psychology.
It argues that autistic older adults may experience growth and adaptation rather than just decline. However, it presents no clinical data or tested interventions.
What this paper is
This is a theoretical paper proposing a lifespan developmental psychology framework for understanding autistic ageing. It reviews existing concepts and suggests future research directions but reports no original data, patient outcomes, or clinical trials. Consequently, there are no findings here to change your clinical practice on.
Declared interests
The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, or publication of this article. They declared no potential conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the proposed 'Selection, Optimisation and Compensation' model as an evidence-based intervention for autistic older adults. The paper outlines a theoretical lens for future research and does not report any study testing whether this framework improves clinical outcomes.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →