Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions diagnosed in children. Most autism research, intervention, and policy focus exclusively on this condition in childhood, but autism often persists across the life course. This narrative review leverages data from 115 participants first diagnosed with autism between ages 2 and 3 years and subsequently followed for 3 decades (Mage = 30.93 years, SD = 3.41) to highlight key aspects of adult life and experiences for autistic individuals identified in early childhood. Compared to other autism samples, the participants described here are relatively diverse: 20% are Black or mixed race; 13% are female; 43% reside in Census-designated rural locations; and 37% have a primary caregiver without a college degree. Fifty participants have average cognitive abilities (mean intellectual quotient [mIQ] = 98.8, SD = 19.3) and are verbally fluent; the remaining 65 have an intellectual disability (mIQ = 28.5, SD = 17.7) and/or are minimally verbal. In some ways, the adult experiences of autistic individuals are quite distinct from those of the general population, but important similarities exist also, particularly related to quality of life. As the number of autistic adults continues to rise, and increasing numbers of autistic adults seek out clinical and community services, high-quality research and clinical services focused on this population should be a priority for psychological science and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

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30 岁自闭症：成人研究和临床实践的概念化。


自闭症谱系障碍是儿童中最常见的神经发育疾病之一。大多数自闭症研究、干预和政策只关注儿童时期的这种情况，但自闭症往往贯穿整个生命历程。本叙述性综述利用了 115 名参与者的数据，这些参与者在 2 至 3 岁之间首次被诊断患有自闭症，随后随访了 3 年（Mage = 30.93 岁，SD = 3.41），以突出成年生活的关键方面和儿童早期发现的自闭症个体的经历。与其他自闭症样本相比，这里描述的参与者相对多样化：20% 是黑人或混血儿;13% 是女性;43% 居住在人口普查指定的农村地区;37% 的主要照顾者没有大学学位。50 名参与者具有平均认知能力（平均智商 [mIQ] = 98.8，SD = 19.3）并且语言流利;其余 65 人有智力障碍 （mIQ = 28.5，SD = 17.7） 和/或语言能力最低。在某些方面，自闭症患者的成年经历与普通人群的成年经历截然不同，但也存在重要的相似之处，尤其是在生活质量方面。随着自闭症成年人的数量不断增加，越来越多的自闭症成年人寻求临床和社区服务，专注于这一人群的高质量研究和临床服务应该是心理科学和实践的优先事项。（PsycInfo 数据库记录 （c） 2024 APA，保留所有权利）。