The symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in adolescence and adulthood.
Autism symptoms shift at different speeds—social skills may improve in teens while repetitive behaviors fade more in adulthood—so reassess each domain across the lifespan.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Seltzer et al. (2003) followed a small group of autistic teens and adults for years. They tracked three symptom areas: social interaction, repetitive behaviors, and communication.
The team used rating scales and interviews. They wanted to see which symptoms eased, stayed, or worsened with age.
What they found
Social skills improved more in the teen years. Repetitive behaviors calmed more in adulthood. Communication scores barely budged at any age.
Each symptom followed its own path. One person might gain social skills yet keep strict routines. Another might speak the same way at 25 as at 15.
How this fits with other research
Waizbard-Bartov et al. (2022) later showed that half of autistic kids also shift severity between ages 3 and 11. The 2003 study extends this idea: change keeps happening in the teen and adult years.
Morrison et al. (2017) found most toddlers keep an ASD label while making big cognitive gains. Mailick et al. add that communication symptoms can stay flat even when other areas improve.
Davidovitch et al. (2023) tracked youth diagnosed after age 6 and saw social problems as the main red flag. The 2003 data help explain why: social skills can keep changing, so struggles may only become clear later.
Why it matters
Don't assume a teen who chats more needs less support. Re-test each domain separately. An adult with calm routines might still need social skills training. Plan reviews at every transition—high school, college, work—and adjust goals as the person changes.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This article describes the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) manifested by 405 individuals between the ages of 10 and 53 years, all of whom had an ASD diagnosis. Data were collected using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) to assess the pattern of autism symptoms in adolescence and adulthood. Findings include that although virtually all sample members met the criteria for Autistic Disorder earlier in their childhood, just over half (54.8%) would have met autism criteria if current scores were used to complete the diagnostic algorithm; that adolescents were more likely to improve in the Reciprocal Social Interaction domain than the adults, whereas the adults were more likely to improve in the Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors and Interests domain, and there were no differences in severity of symptoms between cohorts in the Communication domain; and that individual symptoms showed unique trajectories, with greatest symptom abatement between lifetime and current ADI-R ratings for speaking in at least three-word phrases and the least symptom improvement for having friendships. Findings were interpreted in the context of life course development, reformulations of diagnostic criteria, and changing service contexts for individuals with autism spectrum disorders.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2003 · doi:10.1023/b:jadd.0000005995.02453.0b