Adaptive response of children and adolescents with autism to the 2009 earthquake in L'Aquila, Italy.

Iosa et al. (2012) followed youth with autism after the deadly L’Aquila earthquake.

They tracked daily-living skills for one year to see how a sudden disaster affects kids who already struggle with change.

The team gave intensive help right after the quake and kept measuring progress every few months.

Kids lost many adaptive skills right after the earthquake.

With strong therapy they gained some skills back, but not all, even 12 months later.

The drop was large enough to erase years of slow growth.

Greenlee et al. (2024) looked at many kinds of stress, not just earthquakes. They found younger autistic kids often bounce back faster than teens, while Marco’s sample included teens who recovered more slowly—age may explain part of the gap.

Ducy et al. (2021) studied California kids with any disability after wildfires. Parents still saw stress and grief one year later, matching Marco’s picture of long recovery.

Fujiura et al. (2018) showed that, without disasters, adaptive skills normally slow down in adolescence. Marco’s earthquake created a sudden plunge on top of that natural plateau, making the loss look even steeper.

Big shocks hit autistic kids extra hard. You should expect a sharp slide in self-care, language, and social skills after fires, moves, or family loss. Start extra therapy hours fast, focus on routines, and track progress monthly. Keep services strong for at least a year; partial recovery is likely, but full rebound is not guaranteed.