🧬 Life expectancy of autistic individuals – Part 2: Influencing factors

In the first post, we discussed the concerning data regarding life expectancy of autistic individuals.

We saw that being autistic itself does not directly affect physical health or life expectancy.

However, there are medical, mental, and social factors that are more common among autistic people and may influence their life expectancy.

Key factors include:

🧠 Co-occurring medical conditions: Epilepsy, genetic syndromes (such as Down syndrome or Fragile X), digestive and respiratory problems that require ongoing monitoring and treatment.

For example, epilepsy affects up to one-third of autistic individuals, compared to 1–2% in the general population.

Autistic children are nearly 8 times more likely to have digestive system issues than neurotypical children.

😴 Sensory and motor challenges: Sleep disorders, sensory sensitivities, feeding difficulties, and sensory regulation problems can lead to physical injuries and accidents.

For instance, Pica syndrome—eating non-food items—is common especially in autistic children with cognitive impairments.

💔 Mental health conditions: Depression, anxiety, OCD, and other mood disorders are more prevalent among autistic individuals, impacting quality of life and overall health.

Epidemiological studies show that up to 70% of autistic people face one or more mental health challenges.

⚠️ Accidents are the most common cause of premature death in autistic individuals, sometimes due to fleeing overwhelming situations or lack of danger awareness.

Autistic individuals have a threefold increased risk of death by accident compared to the general population.

Autistic children have a 160 times higher risk of drowning compared to neurotypical children.

📉 Social isolation and functional difficulties in adolescence and adulthood contribute to feelings of loneliness and even suicidal thoughts—studies show autistic individuals have a 6 to 7 times higher risk of suicide attempts.

🚧 Barriers to accessing appropriate healthcare: Lack of adapted medical skills, negative sensory experiences in clinics, and sometimes missed symptoms can lead to delayed or missed diagnoses and treatments.

💡 The good news? Increasing awareness, listening to autistic individuals, early diagnosis, personalized treatment, parental guidance, and strong family and social support systems can significantly improve quality of life and health outcomes.

We will expand on this in the third post of the series.

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