From the BBC:

Thousands of adults with autism find themselves isolated and ignored, one of the largest studies into people with the condition has suggested.

The National Autistic Society Scotland said more than half of an estimated 50,000 autistic adults and their families do not get the support needed.

It claimed the government does not know exactly how many people have autism, making it impossible to plan services.

The I Exist report said thousands of adults with autism faced a “miserable daily reality” which left them feeling isolated and ignored, unable to access the required support, and often completely dependent on their “overburdened” families.

One adult with autism told researchers: “My family often have to fight for me to get the support and life that I need. This is a constant struggle.”

The report found that 54% of those questioned said they did not receive enough support to meet their needs, with 52% of adults with autism not having had an assessment of their needs since the age of 18.

The report also found that more than half of autistic adults had suffered from depression and had been bullied or harassed since the age of 18. Only one in eight adults with autism was in employment.

The charity spoke to 175 adults with the condition and their families.

Related post here.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 at 4:56 pm and is filed under autism, international, research news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post