Social and community inclusion outcomes for adults with autism with and without intellectual disability in Australia.
Most autistic adults in Australia remain socially isolated even when they say they are content, especially if they also have intellectual disability.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Gandhi et al. (2022) looked at how well autistic adults in Australia join community life.
They tracked where people live, how many friends they have, and how happy they feel.
The team compared adults who also have intellectual disability with those who do not.
What they found
Most adults still lived with family or in group homes.
Over half had poor overall inclusion, and the number rose when ID was present.
Even so, many said they felt satisfied with the friends they did have.
How this fits with other research
Bao et al. (2017) saw the same pattern in teens: ASD plus ID meant fewer real friendships, not fewer activities.
Billstedt et al. (2011) found that autistic adults in Scandinavia felt happy yet still relied on caregivers, matching the new Australian mood-versus-fact split.
Rutland et al. (1996) showed that older Australians with ID rarely used clubs or buses; the 2022 data say little has changed for the next generation.
Why it matters
The gap between feeling okay and being truly included is wide. Start teaching social navigation and community safety skills early. Push for structured peer groups, transport training, and employer partnerships so clients do not age into the same isolation these studies trace from youth to older adulthood.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Research suggests that adults with autism tend to have poor outcomes. Outcomes have mostly been defined using summary outcome ratings, with less focus on specific outcomes such as employment, living situation, social satisfaction, loneliness, and friendships. This study aimed to explore social and community outcomes, including employment, education, living arrangements, friendships, and social satisfaction, for autistic adults with and without intellectual disability. METHOD: Eighty-four adults with autism (mean age 34.2 years, SD = 4.5; 67% with co-occurring intellectual disability), recruited as children and adolescents, participated in the current study. Adult social and community inclusion outcomes were explored through interview and questionnaire, both parent/carer-report and self-report. RESULTS: Participants predominantly lived with family or in supported accommodation, did not pursue higher education, and mostly participated in day activity programmes. Most had limited friendships as reported by parents/carers; however, self-report data (n = 28) indicated that adults were largely satisfied with their social relationships. Overall outcome was poor for 57%, and good/very good for 34%. Adults with intellectual disability generally had poorer outcomes. CONCLUSION: Autistic adults encountered numerous difficulties in leading an independent life. Adults with co-occurring intellectual disability were most likely to experience difficulties; however, outcomes ranged from poor to very good for adults without intellectual disability. Discrepancies in parent/carer-report and self-reported experiences of friendships highlight the need to ensure individual experiences are captured in addition to parent/carer-report. Appropriate resources and programmes are crucial for adults with autism to support them to have the choice to live independently.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2022 · doi:10.1111/jir.12953