Autism in Older Adults: A Pilot, Descriptive Study

描述（由申请人提供）：实际上对患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的老年人（> 50岁）一无所知。随着美国人口的老龄化和最近对ASD高患病率的认识，在不久的将来，患有ASD的老年人可能会给医疗保健系统和社会带来巨大的负担。在这项试点探索性研究的目标1中，我们建议访问北卡罗来纳州的国家核心指标数据库，系统地检查医疗/行为问题的发生率，功能水平，支持和服务利用率，可能是最脆弱的老年ASD患者，约100名患有ASD和智力残疾（ID）的老年人，与约1000名非ASD患者相比，虽然目标1投下了广泛但浅的网，在目标2中，我们提出了一个更详细的检查行为模式和诊断，医疗条件，功能水平，支持，获得护理和生活质量的40名老年人与ASD相比，40名非ASD老年人控制。这项研究的首要目的是获得初步数据，用于未来对ASD老年人的综合研究，为未来的临床实践，政策和培训提供信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Virtually nothing is known about older adults (> 50 years of age) with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). With the aging of the U.S. population and recent recognition of the high prevalence of ASD, it is likely that in the near future, older adults with ASD will impose a tremendous burden on the healthcare system and society. In Aim 1 of this pilot, exploratory study, we propose to access the National Core Indicators database in North Carolina, to systematically examine rates of medical/behavioral problems, level of function, support and service utilization in, perhaps the most vulnerable older individuals with ASD,~ 100 older adults with ASD and intellectual disability (ID), in comparison to ~ 1000 non-ASD, older adults with ID. Whereas Aim 1 casts a broad but shallow net, in Aim 2, we propose a much more detailed examination of behavioral patterns and diagnoses, medical conditions, level of function, support, access to care and quality of life in 40 older adults with ASD in comparison to 40 non-ASD older adult controls. The overarching aim of this study is to obtain preliminary data for a future comprehensive study of older adults with ASD, informing future clinical practice, policy and training.