OUTCOME IN AUTISM AND AUTISTIC-LIKE CONDITIONS

Autism carries a very variable prognosis; there might be a slight increase in mortality in the first 30 years of life. A small, but not negligible, minority of people with autism lead productive, self-supporting adult lives, but about two-thirds will remain dependent on others throughout life. The risk of epilepsy is very high, both in early childhood and adolescence. An important minority deteriorate in adolescence. Outcome in autistic-like conditions is even more variable, ranging from excellent in many cases of so-called Asperger syndrome to gloomy in most cases of so-called disintegrative disorders.