Residential Care for Older Autistic Adults: Insights from Three Multiexpert Summits

Abstract

As autistic people get older, they may suffer increasingly with poor health and as a result may transition to residential care. Very little is known about the support needs of older autistic adults in general, or their specific needs within residential care services. As such, it is impossible to determine whether existing residential services are meeting the needs of older autistic adults. A first step to resolving this issue is to determine what are the priority topics for research and practice in this area. A multidisciplinary expert group was formed, and three meetings were held in 2018. Group members included older autistic adults, the immediate family members of older autistic adults (siblings and children), service providers, clinicians, and researchers based in the United Kingdom. Their aim was to progress the research and practice agenda in residential care for older autistic adults by identifying priority topics for research and recommendations for practice and policy. Ten key topics were identified, including supporting transitions to residential care, training for staff, and supporting physical health. This article summarizes the discussions around these topics and highlights areas for future research and practice development.