Autism and course of life

Another way to look at the impact of autism on an individual is to look at its impact through someone’s course of life.
We will distinguish:
1. Babies and Toddlers
2. Childhood
3. Puberty/Adolescence
4. Maturity
5. Middle Age
6. The Elderly

In the previous chapters we outlined a picture of the nature of autism, the impact it has and the possible aids. It makes a large difference, of course, whether we are discussing with someone with autism, with the Asperger syndrome or someone with autistic characteristics such as PDD-NOS.

• Babies and Toddlers
  
  Many autistic children resist or ignore contact with their parents as a baby. They often cry, they hold their arms limp along their body when they are picked up, they hardly if ever smile, and sometimes they push the other away.
• Childhood
  
  Many autistic children do not reach the level of active language use. When there is no significant development in language skills before the age of six, the prognosis is dim and the child will stay autistic. Passive use of language (understanding spoken language) might be well developed, even though this might not seem obvious.
• Young adulthood
  
  This is a period in life that is stressful, due to several changes occurring at the same time. For a young adult without autism this is a heavy task to fulfill. For a young adult with autism, this might be a period when it becomes obvious that they are not able to function on their own or can do so only with difficulty..
• Transitioning to adulthood
  
  Around the age of fourteen, parents should begin thinking about how their autistic child will make the leap from school to adulthood. Ultimately, the goal for the child should be to lead as normal and independent a life as possible. As with your child’s elementary and secondary education, good planning is key.
• Maturity
  
  During maturity, differences between people with and people without autism are very easily found. Of course this also depends on the severity of autism. It also depends on whether autism has been diagnosed or not.
• Middle age
  
  Their qualities and talents become apparent, their experience increases and consequently a career develops. With autistic people this is not the way things usually develop.
• The elderly
  
  Because diagnosing an adult with autism (without a mental handicap) only recently has become fashionable, a lot of autistic adults go through life undiagnosed and thus ignorant of the nature of their impairments.