Negative misconceptions about the inevitability of declining physical health and cognitive functioning in old age abound in society and the literature on autism and aging. But there is a paradox of aging – most older adults in the general population experience a peak in their life satisfaction and emotional wellbeing in later life that is fundamental to successful aging. Parallel patterns of later life improvement in psychosocial functioning and emotional wellbeing have been found in conditions such as ADHD and sc…

ABSTRACT Background Parents of children with developmental disabilities report higher levels of psychological distress. Parenting interventions may reduce parental psychological distress. Our aim was to investigate the psychological distress trajectories of parents receiving a parenting intervention. Method Data were drawn from a state‐wide trial of Stepping Stones Triple P (SSTP) in Queensland and Victoria, Australia ( n = 365 parents). Growth mixture modelling was used to describe psychological distress trajecto…

Abstract A valid and reliable assessment tool is essential for the accurate diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which remains a critical need for health practitioners in Indonesia. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC-IND) for screening children with ASD compared to those without the disorder. A total of 82 Indonesian children, aged 14 to 72 months (M = 45.32 months, SD = 14.51), with a range of developmental d…

BackgroundMuch of the research on autistic ageing is framed by what is known about the developmental trajectory of autism throughout childhood and into middle age. There is also the risk that common negative stereotypes about ageing distract from exploring the potential for developmental gains in later life such as those seen in the non-autistic population and some other conditions. The research presented here is part of a broader body of work aimed at addressing these gaps. To do this we explored older autistic a…

BackgroundMuch of the research on autistic ageing is framed by what is known about the developmental trajectory of autism throughout childhood and into middle age. There is also the risk that common negative stereotypes about ageing distract from exploring the potential for developmental gains in later life such as those seen in the non-autistic population and some other conditions. The research presented here is part of a broader body of work aimed at addressing these gaps. To do this we explored older autistic a…