Individuals who examine they’re autistic at a more youthful age will have a heightened great of lifestyles and feel of wellbeing in adulthood. That’s the finding of a brand new study, posted within side the journal Autism, which additionally observed that the ones who discovered in their autism as adults reported extra high quality emotions (particularly relief) approximately autism whilst first mastering they were autistic. Findings advise that telling a infant that they’re autistic at a more youthful age empowers them through presenting get entry to help and a basis for self- knowledge that facilitates them thrive later in lifestyles. 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. One of the co-authors, Dr Steven Kapp, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, was diagnosed with and informed of his autism aged 13.
He said: “Students who learned they were autistic when they were younger felt happier about their lives than people who were diagnosed at an older age. Our study shows that it is probably best to tell people they are autistic as soon as possible in a balanced, personal, and developmentally appropriate way. Learning one is autistic can be empowering because it helps people understand themselves and also helps them connect with other people like them.” However, being given a diagnosis as an adult can often also be empowering. Dr Kapp said: “Learning about autism at an older age is associated with more positive emotions about a diagnosis especially relief. This finding makes sense, although emotional reactions are often very complex and unique to each person there has been a lot of emerging research showing that relief is a common response to an autism diagnosis in adulthood.” The study suggests that parents should not wait for children to become adults to tell them they are autistic. No participants recommended doing so, although most highlighted factors to consider when informing a child of their autism, including developmental level, support needs, curiosity, and personality.
Findings also suggest that parents should tell their children they are autistic in ways that help them understand and feel good about who they are. Bella Kofner, co-lead author (24), who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3 and informed of her autism at the age of 10, said: “This is the first study, to our knowledge, to demonstrate that learning at a young age that one is autistic may have positive impacts on emotional health among autistic university students. Hopefully, this finding may begin to address concerns parents have about when to talk to their child about autism. When’ the conversation begins is particularly important.Our findings suggest that learning at a younger age that one is autistic can help autistic people develop self-understanding and access support, providing the foundations for well-being in adulthood.”
