Early self-awareness of autism might lead to better life quality: Study

Findings suggest that telling a child that they are autistic at a younger age empowers them by providing access to support and a foundation for self-understanding that helps them thrive later in life.

Washington: Individuals who learn they are autistic at a younger age can have a heightened quality of life and sense of well-being in adulthood.That’s the finding of a new study, published in the journal Autism, which also found that those who learned of their autism as adults reported more positive emotions (especially relief) about autism when first learning they were autistic.

Findings suggest that telling a child that they are autistic at a younger age empowers them by providing access to support and a foundation for self-understanding that helps them thrive later in life.

For the first time, researchers directly investigated whether learning if one is autistic at a younger age is associated with better adult outcomes. Many autistic people - particularly females, ethnic/racial minorities and people with limited resources - are diagnosed years after the characteristics are first noticed. In many cases, autistic people do not receive their diagnosis until adulthood.

The study was carried out by a team of autistic and non-autistic students and academic researchers.

Seventy-eight autistic university students were surveyed, sharing how they found out they were autistic and how they felt about their diagnosis. Respondents also revealed how they felt about their lives and being autistic now.