Autism in adulthood: the concepts of identity and difference

It was not until 1980 that autistic spectrum disorders were officially recognized as disorders of development and not of psychoses (Wing, 1996). (In this article the term 'autism' will be used to refer to all individuals diagnosed across the autistic spectrum, including people with Asperger syndrome.) There will be many adults with autism aged over 20 years of age who are not appropriately diagnosed and who are not receiving relevant care (Trevarthen et al, 1998). Many will have been the victims of a medical model of treatment as opposed to receiving the necessary education and support. This article, the second of a two-part series (the first article (Vol 9(12): 779-84) dealt with children with autism) will explore how contemporary knowledge can help healthcare professionals to support adults with autism in the development of positive self-identities.