The elderly

When people grow older they tend to look at life based on their self-knowledge and life experience. 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.

Finding your own identity is the major theme of this life phase. With aging, brain functions become less flexible; this is also the case with autism. This means in effect that their already substandard flexibility even gets worse. They tend to have more problems adjusting behavior and lean heavily on their partner, unless their partner has divorced them or, much more likely, has been found. In their loneliness they can develop into a peculiar character.

Social help during old age is very important. Knowing this aid is available is of utmost importance for people suffering from autism. Where people normally depend on their self-knowledge, people suffering from autism are still busy working on their identity. The diagnosis of autism may even become part of their identity, aggravating their condition after the diagnosis.
The elderly
Asperger's Syndrome in Laymens Terms. Aspergers Checklist
Autism Books