Mortality and cause of death of Australians on the autism spectrum.
Autistic clients die twice as often as peers—pair every behavior plan with tight medical and mental-health follow-up.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Hwang et al. (2019) tracked death records for autistic Australians aged 5-64. They compared causes of death to the general public. The goal was to see if autism itself raises the chance of early death.
What they found
Autistic adults died at twice the rate of other Australians. Epilepsy, mental-health crises, and long-term illnesses drove most of the extra risk. The top killers were different from those in the non-autistic group.
How this fits with other research
Mouridsen et al. (2008) saw the same two-fold risk in Denmark 11 years earlier. Their early warning now has fresh proof across another country.
Stewart (2026) says future studies should split midlife (40-64) and old-age (65+) groups. Jane’s team blended ages 25-64, so finer cuts may reveal even sharper risk jumps.
Amaral et al. (2017) found triple the death rate in English adults with intellectual disability. Autism alone doubles risk; adding ID appears to triple it, showing a stepped pattern rather than a clash.
Why it matters
Your behavior plans already track elopement and self-injury. Add medical red flags to that list. Watch for new seizures, missed psychiatric meds, or sudden weight loss. Prompt the family to book a doctor visit the same day you would call for a behavioral crisis. Quick medical action can prevent deaths, not just injuries.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Focused investigations regarding mortality rates, risk factors, and cause of death in autistic populations remain scarce. The present study used large linked datasets spanning 2001-2015 to report the rates and risk factors for mortality and cause of death in individuals on the autism spectrum (n = 35,929 age range 5-64) with and without concurrent intellectual disability (ID) in New South Wales, Australia. Mortality rates for those on the autism spectrum were 2.06 times that of the general population. Concurrent ID, epilepsy, mental health conditions, and chronic physical health conditions were associated with a higher risk of death for those on the spectrum, whereas demographic variables such as gender and socioeconomic status were not. A differing profile of top causes of death was found for autistic individuals relative to the general population, with "nervous system and sense disorders" and "injury and poisoning" being the top-ranked causes for those on the spectrum. The findings alert the need for health promotion and management of concurrent physical and mental health conditions for those on the autism spectrum. There is also a need for better identification, diagnosis, and documentation of older adults on the autism spectrum. Autism Research 2019, 12: 806-815. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Rates of death are higher for autistic individuals compared to the general population. There is higher risk of death for autistic individuals who have additional mental and physical health conditions. The leading causes of death for autistic individuals with and without ID are "nervous system and sense disorders", which includes epilepsy and "injury and poisoning", respectively. To minimize risk of death, it is important to manage the mental and physical health individuals on the autism spectrum and to better understand the circumstances surrounding preventable deaths for this population.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2019 · doi:10.1002/aur.2086