Sociological and cultural aspects of autism
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Adults
Communication and social problems often cause difficulties in many areas of an autistic adult's life. A 2008 study found that adults with ASD commonly experience difficulty starting social interactions, longing for greater intimacy, a profound sense of isolation, and effort to develop greater social or self awareness.
A much smaller proportion of adult autistics marry than the general population. It has been hypothesized that people with autism are subject to assortative mating, that is, that they tend to mate with each other and produce autistic offspring. This hypothesis has been publicized in the popular press, but has not been empirically tested.
Baron-Cohen said that an increasing technological society has opened up niches for people with Asperger syndrome, who may choose fields that are "highly systematised and predictable". People with AS could do well in workplace roles that are "system-centred, and connect with the nitty-gritty detail of the product or the system".
In the United States, the public schools' legal responsibility for providing services ends when the autistic person is 21 years of age. The autistic person and their family are then faced with the challenge of finding living arrangements and employment to match their particular needs, as well as the programs and facilities that can provide support services to achieve these goals.
