Psychosocial functioning in a group of Swedish adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism.

Tsao et al. (2003) followed a small group of Swedish adults with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism. They wanted to see how these adults were doing in everyday life. The team looked at jobs, relationships, housing, and support needs.

Most adults lived on their own but could not find work. Few had partners. Many needed help from both public and private services. The picture was independence without full participation.

Lundqvist (2013) studied every adult with intellectual disability in the same Swedish county. He found that 62 % also had behavior problems. The 2003 group looked calmer, but both studies show adults stuck outside real employment.

Schiltz et al. (2023) tracked anxiety and depression over time in autistic adults. She showed these feelings feed each other year after year. The 2003 snapshot of poor outcomes now has a clear mental-health engine driving it.

Austin et al. (2015) counted social ties. Adults with ASD or ID had smaller, looser family networks than neighbors without disabilities. The 2003 report of few partners gains a network map: thin support lines in every direction.

If you serve adults with ASD, do not stop at daily-living goals. Add long-term career coaching and mental-health screens. Build social capital beyond family. Plan for decades, not months.