Autism researchers are interested in whether there can be a difference between patients who get affected in early stage versus later stage. 

Getting an earlier diagnosis could help a person gain a better understanding of themselves or get medical help.

A new set of data try to understand if there is any difference between people diagnosed with autism in younger age compared to those diagnosed in adulthood. 

According to a study in Autism Research, 4657 legally independent autistic adults finds difference in co-occuring conditions between groups of adults who were diagnosed as a child versus adults. 

People having autism at adult age were likely to have 2.7 times more co-ocurring mood , personaly and anxiety disorders that people diagnosed in childhood. 

They also reported lifetime diagnoses of psychiatric conditions at a higher rate, at 3.2 versus 2.8 for people diagnosed during childhood.  

“Experiences of childhood- versus adulthood-diagnosed people are likely to be quite different,” said lead researcher Vanessa Bal, the Karmazin and Lillard Chair in Adult Autism at Rutgers University 

Where studies do not have the required information to differentiate between the groups, trying to generalise the findings, " is going to have crucial implications for research ".

The potential difference beetween age diagnosis can also affect how the mental health professionals understand their autistic patients. 

Bal to Spectrum

"There is a shortage of mental health clinicians who are adequately trained to offer support to autistic adults"