Could you be living with undiagnosed autism?

Most autistic people over the age of 40 are living without an official diagnosis, research has revealed, but there are key signs that we can all look out for.

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Experts at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London reanalysed data from 2018 and estimated that among autistic adults aged 40 to 59, 91.45% of men and 79.48% of women have not received a formal diagnosis.

That adds up to an overall under-diagnosis rate of 89.29%.

To better understand how autism may present later in life, Dr Lisa Williams, clinical psychologist and founder of The Autism Service, has shared seven subtle signs of autism that often go unnoticed in adults over 40...

“Heightened sensitivity to key sensory sources like light, noise, smells and textures can persist into later years for autistic adults,” notes Dr Williams.

Struggles with change

“Change can be especially challenging for older adults who may have undiagnosed autism,” highlights Dr Williams.