Is long-term prognosis for pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified different from prognosis for autistic disorder? Findings from a 30-year follow-up study.

Researchers tracked adults for 30 years after their childhood autism diagnosis. They compared two groups: those originally labeled autistic disorder and those labeled PDD-NOS.

The team looked at who ended up on disability pensions. They wanted to see if the old labels predicted adult support needs.

Only one big difference showed up. Adults with the original autistic disorder label drew disability pensions 89% of the time. The PDD-NOS group did so 72% of the time.

On other life measures, the groups looked much the same. The milder childhood label did not guarantee better jobs, housing, or health decades later.

Hatton et al. (1999) saw the same pattern in kids. They found PDD-NOS children had milder theory-of-mind gaps than autistic peers. Marianne’s adult data now show that gap narrows by mid-life.

Beadle-Brown et al. (2002) followed people with ID for ten years and also saw stable social impairment. Their short view pairs with Marianne’s 30-year view: core traits move little.

Pitchford et al. (2019) asked researchers to use the same tools when studying older autistic adults. Marianne’s long cohort is exactly the group they want measured with those tools.

If you write adult transition plans, do not relax when you see PDD-NOS on an old report. Most clients will still need strong vocational and social supports. Use the 72% pension rate to justify continued funding for job coaching and life-skills programs. Track real-world milestones, not just the childhood label.