Think Tank on Autism and Aging

Organized by Autism Canada and the Autism Research Institute (ARI)
Hosted by the Pacific Autism Family Network

An international delegation of about 25 autistic seniors, clinicians, researchers, and policy makers convened for two days in Vancouver, British Columbia for a multi-disciplinary roundtable think tank to review the most current work on aging with autism, and to identify future directions in research and practice. The meeting, co-hosted by Autism Canada, included presentations from five countries across three continents.Goals included promoting a “multi-disciplinary and inter-professional approach,” and facilitating “national and international networking and collaboration around common priorities to advance research, knowledge, and solutions.”

The event resulted in a Summary Report on Aging and Autism which addresses strategies and solutions and begins building a framework for best practices for aging adults on the autism spectrum. The report focuses on three themes: 1) Understanding aging on the autism spectrum; 2) Supporting autistic adults; 3) Developing appropriate research methodologies and outcome measures for future work on autism and aging.