Most autistic adults over 40 in the UK undiagnosed, review finds

Almost nine in ten autistic adults aged 40 and over in the United Kingdom are likely living without a formal diagnosis, researchers at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience said in a major review published this month. The authors reanalysed UK healthcare records from 2018 and concluded that many middle‑aged and older people who meet criteria for autism were never recognised, a shortfall they say leaves significant gaps in care and research for ageing autistic populations.

The review estimated that 89.29 percent of autistic people aged 40 to 59 are undiagnosed, with a steeper gap among older cohorts: an overall 96.51 percent of those aged 60 and above were thought not to have a diagnosis. The authors reported sex differences in the midlife group, estimating 91.45 percent of men and 79.48 percent of women aged 40 to 59 lacked a diagnosis; among those over 60 the rates were 96.29 percent for men and 97.19 percent for women. The findings are drawn from a narrative synthesis of available studies and a reanalysis of healthcare-record data, the researchers said.

The review also found that autistic adults in midlife and later life face...