Short report: A co-designed psychoeducation for older autistic adults-a multiple case study

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Gerontology
• Psychology

Background:

• Psychoeducation is common post-autism diagnosis, but tailored programs for older autistic adults (55+) are lacking.
• Older autistic adults face unique life-stage challenges requiring specific information and support.
• Existing psychoeducation programs do not cater to the distinct needs of this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test a novel psychoeducation program for older autistic adults (55+).
• To assess the program's impact on reducing insight differences between autistic individuals and their proxies regarding autistic characteristics and cognitive challenges.
• To evaluate the program's effect on factors like self-esteem in older autistic adults.

Main Methods:

• Co-development of a psychoeducation program with autistic adults and clinicians.
• Pilot testing with nine autistic adults (aged 56-73) and their proxies.
• Pre-intervention determination of desired outcomes with older autistic adults.

Main Results:

• The program did not significantly decrease the difference in insight between autistic individuals and their proxies.
• No significant positive impact was observed on other tested factors, such as self-esteem.
• Participants reported perceived benefits and provided valuable feedback for program enhancement.

Conclusions:

• The developed psychoeducation program did not meet the primary hypotheses regarding insight reduction or improvement in other factors.
• Despite not meeting primary outcomes, the program offered perceived value to participants.
• Further development and refinement are warranted to create an effective psychoeducation intervention for older autistic adults.