For every autistic child, there will one day be an autistic adult. The ageing of the population, along with improvements in understanding of autism and better diagnostic tools, means that we are seeing a growing cohort of older autistic people (both diagnosed and undiagnosed). However, older autistic people are invisible in the community and – when they are visible – they experience systemic discrimination and exclusion from services, the community and even their families. This keynote aims to provide participants with a deeper insight into the characteristics and experiences of older autistic people; the challenges they face in the community and in accessing services; and how we can create more inclusive environments and provide more supportive and neuro-affirming care.

The presentation will summarise what is known from the limited literature on the experiences of older autistic adults, and the sobering data on health and social outcomes. Importantly, the speaker will illustrate and expand on this limited body of knowledge with early findings from her current in-depth study into the experiences of a cohort of more than fifty autistic adults aged 50 to 88.

Key Learnings:
1. Identify key challenges faced by older autistic adults
2. Understand the knowledge and service gaps in providing care for older autistic adults
3. Reflect on their own practices and suggest one thing they could do differently to better minimise the barriers and/or utilise the strengths of autistic adults