In 2017, Autism Canada, The Pacific Autism Family Network, and ARI facilitated a think tank on ASD in adulthood and later life in Vancouver, BC. Meetings focused on collaboration around common priorities to advance research, knowledge, and solutions for issues related to autism in middle adulthood and beyond. A summary of this international meeting was published in May 2020, in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
“Over the past decade, there has been a growing interest in adults on the autistic spectrum, and more recently, the challenges related to aging in this population. A two-day Think Tank meeting, focused on aging in autism, was convened amongst international leaders in the field of autism research and practice. This meeting included a series of presentations addressing the current status of aging research, followed by discussions regarding priorities going forward. Attendees shared their thoughts and concerns regarding community services, government policies, societal perspectives, and physical and mental health. The goal of these discussions was to consider systematic approaches aimed at providing meaningful supports that can ensure a quality of life for seniors on the autism spectrum.”