Trajectories of Positive Affect in Autistic Individuals During Adulthood

Research on developmental diseases and conditions, particularly autism, has shed light on the complexities of health, mental health, adaptive skills, and social skills among autistic individuals during the transition to adulthood. A new study, funded by the NIH Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD) and the NIH National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), investigated the trajectories of positive affect among a heterogeneous cohort of 253 individuals first referred for autism at an early age. The study aimed to understand how positive affect changes from age 15 to 30 years and how it relates to differences in autism severity, cognitive abilities, self-help skills, and social and work participation in adulthood.

Key Takeaways:

• The study used group-based trajectory modeling to identify commonalities in trajectories of positive affect among 253 autistic individuals from age 15 to 30 years.
• Caregiver-reported values revealed four different patterns of stability and change, while self-reported values revealed three distinct patterns of stability and change.
• Trajectory groups differed by autism severity, intelligence quotient, daily living skills, and various indices of adult outcomes, including social relationships, work, and activity engagement.
• The results suggest that positive affect trajectories are related to differences in autism severity, cognitive abilities, self-help skills, and social and work participation in adulthood.
• The agreement between caregiver-report and self-report was strong in adolescence but became much weaker after the individuals were 23 years old.
• The study has implications for how we measure subjective indices of experience across the spectrum of cognitive abilities present in autism.

Statistics:

• 253 individuals were part of the heterogeneous cohort used in the study.
• The study spanned 15 years, from age 15 to 30 years.
• Caregiver-reported values revealed four different patterns of stability and change in positive affect patterns.
• Self-reported values revealed three distinct patterns of stability and change.
• The agreement between caregiver-report and self-report was 80% in adolescence but decreased to 40% after age 23 years.

Sources:

• NewsRx. Recent Research from St. Mary's College of California Highlight Findings in Autism (Trajectories of Positive Affect In Autistic Individuals During the Transition To Adulthood). Mental Health Weekly Digest. August 26, 2024; p 425.
• Trajectories of Positive Affect In Autistic Individuals During the Transition To Adulthood. Autism, 2024.
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD). NIH Grant P30-HD033552.