Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Adults have a significantly harder time being diagnosed with autism, and this is due to many reasons, such as the paucity of information about adults with autism, their diagnosis being missed as a child, lack of providers who feel confident in their knowledge to diagnose autism in adults, and an autistic adult’s ability to mask and cope in a neurotypical world since childhood, among others. Few tests are available and specifically target adult diagnosis. Most tests are created for children or youth and may not account for the difference in the presentation of autism in adults and the coping skills and masking they have required to develop throughout their lives. This paper talks about the need for adequate knowledge and testing for autism in the adult population.