Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mid and Later Life – Review

“Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mid and Later Life”

Edited by Scott D. Wright, PhD
with a foreword by Professor Francesca Happe.
Jessica Kingsley Publishers

The foreword is by Professor Francesca Happe who some of you may remember we had her PhD student come to talk to us about the research projects they are engaged in.

This is an excellent book, I suspect primarily written for professionals and brings together a number of unique contributions.

An overview is provided of adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder past present and future.  Part two focuses on genetic and environmental issues.  Part Three focuses on historical, contemporary and personal perspectives on aging within the Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Part four looks at aging and the aging individual.  Part five looks at aging and family issues.  Part six looks at community issues and Part seven looks at the aging experience, social policy and advocacy and Part eight looks at future directions.

As Francesca Happe points out in her foreword even five years ago such a book could not have been written, it would have been impossible to gather so many chapters by leading researchers and writers on the topic of aging.

She hopes in five years from now that producing a book like this will be impossible because the research literature on Autism and aging will be so extensive.  Let’s hope that is the case and we will keep you updated with any outcomes from either the Newcastle University research projects and/or Francesca Happe’s.

I shall be bringing this book along to our monthly post-diagnostic support group.