

It is often difficult for adults with autism to see things from another point of view and interpret nonverbal communications such as eye-rolling, shoulder shrugging, or other facial expressions. Social difficulties include issues with communication and understanding, which sometimes makes the ordinary exchange process of social conversation difficult. Short descriptions and lists of common symptoms in adults are listed below ( Autism Speaks, 2015 Lewis, 2018).

Adults on the spectrum commonly exhibit symptoms related to social and communication difficulties, repetitive behaviors, sensory processing difficulties, and issues with executive function and theory of mind. “Classic” symptoms of autism in children are not always present in adults on the spectrum, especially in those underdiagnosed as children ( Lewis, 2018 ).

They call for a greater focus on validated diagnostic assessments for adults and seniors with autism in order to provide sufficient medical and social support for these individuals. ( 2020 ) presuppose that the current lack of a diagnosis may be due to insufficient healthcare training surrounding the medical and social/emotional needs and the communication, sensory and behavioral challenges faced by adults on the spectrum. Presently, reliable assessments and diagnostic measures specific to older age groups have yet to be developed and widely accepted ( Wingham et al., 2019 ). As our understanding of autism and its prevalence has evolved, mid-to-late life diagnosis has become a more important topic in autism research ( Au-Yeng et al., 2018 ).
#Sensory issues in adults manual#
Autism was first recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders in 1980 and until recently was understood only as a pediatric condition ( Verhoeff, 2013 ) this left potentially significant numbers of teenagers and adults (now adults and seniors) under- or misdiagnosed for decades.
