Grant: CIHR Journalism Award

The impact of autism on the lives of Canadian adults is both understudied and largely untold. It's unclear whether the disorder's core symptoms - social and communication deficits, and repetitive behaviours and restricted interests - persist during adulthood. Even the prevalence of autism among adults, their mental state, brain activity or general health status is unknown. That's largely because, until recently, autism has been perceived as a childhood disorder. Fortunately, that perception has begun to change, mainly due to shifting demographics, and researchers, biomedical funding agencies and policymakers are turning their attention to adults with autism. This journalism grant will be used to tell the stories of adults with autism, what researchers are learning about how the disorder changes with age, and what it means for healthcare. It will also look at promising new drug treatment options for adults, and the consequences of associated mental health problems on the diagnosis, care and treatment of those adults.