Autism - What will happen?

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For many parents of children with autism, the future is one of their biggest worries. In particular, you may worry what will happen if you can't care for your child any more.

It's hard to say what will happen to your child. This is because autism affects different children in different ways. Some can live on their own. But others will always need a lot of help.[1] [2]

Keep in mind that the right support, education and training now may help your child have fewer problems later on.[3]

Here's what we know from research.[1]

  • About 15 percent of children with autism grow up to live on their own.
  • A further 15 to 20 percent live alone but with help.
  • Many adults with autism need full-time care for the rest of their lives.

How well your child can do on their own is linked to whether they can speak and learn.[2] [3] Some children have a good chance of living alone and holding down a job later on.[3] But others have worse symptoms and need a lot of support in all areas of their life, including housing, work and social activities.[2] Many adults with autism need to live in special places that provide care for the long term.

Autism in adults

One study looked at 75 people with autism.[3] They were 29 years old, on average. This study was small. It's also a bit out of date, from 1994. But it gives us some idea of how adults with autism get on.

Here's what the study found in the 75 people.

Living

  • Eight were living on their own or partly on their own.
  • About a third were living with their parents.
  • Roughly half (40 percent) were living in special communities, most built specially for people with autism.
  • Ten were living in long-stay places

Working

  • Fifteen of the people had got qualifications in school.
  • Seven worked in regular jobs for pay, and a further one worked for himself.
  • Four had volunteer jobs.
  • Fifty just went to day centres or living centres. These centres didn't offer much chance to learn skills that would help the young people find regular jobs.

Social life

  • Twenty-five of the people had some friends.
  • One was married.
  • Fifty didn't have any friends at all.

Autism in older children and teenagers

Autism doesn't go away. But certain kinds of behaviour often get better as your child gets older. In a study of about 200 families, more than a third of parents said that their children had got better between the ages of 10 and 15.[3] But about a quarter of parents said that their children's behaviour had got worse.

Certain types of behaviour may get better, while other types get worse.[4]

Some young people with autism may realise that they are different. This can be a good thing, especially if they learn new skills to help them cope better. But young people with autism need a lot of support. If your child realises they don't fit in, they may get depressed or have other problems with their mental health.[2]

What does it feel like?

You may wonder what it feels like to have autism. To get an idea, you can read books written by people with this condition. Here are some examples.

  • Nobody Nowhere: The Extraordinary Autobiography of an Autistic by Donna Williams (published by Jessica Kingsley, 1998)
  • Somebody Somewhere: Breaking Free From the World of Autism by Donna Williams (published by Jessica Kingsley, 1998)
  • Thinking in Pictures and Other Reports From My Life With Autism by Temple Grandin (published byVintage Books, 1996)

References

  1. Baird G, Cass H, Slonims V. Diagnosis of autism. BMJ. 2003; 327: 488-493.
  2. Wing L. The autistic spectrum. British Medical Journal. 1996; 312: 327-328.
  3. Howlin P, Goode S. Outcome in adult life for people with autism and Asperger's syndrome. In: Volkmar FR, Goodyer IM (editors). Autism and pervasive developmental disorders. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK; 1998.
  4. National Institute of Mental Health. Autism spectrum disorders (pervasive developmental disorders). Available at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/autism.cfm (accessed on 15 December 2005).

© BMJ Publishing Group Limited ("BMJ Group") 2007. All rights reserved

This information does not replace medical advice. If you are concerned you might have a medical problem please ask your Boots pharmacy team in your local Boots store, or see your doctor.