How Adult Autism Goes Undetected

You’re an adult and you think you are autistic, what do you do? Autism, psychologically diagnosed as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is most commonly thought of as a developmental disorder diagnosed during childhood. In 2018, the CDC reported that 1 in 44 US children were diagnosed as autistic, but what happens when these kids grow up? And what about those that fell through a gap in the system and were under-reported. In this episode of Vitals, we hear from Kip Chow, an autistic advocate, educator, and someone that was officially diagnosed as autistic as an adult, on why they think the system for assessing autism is lacking. We also spoke to Dr. Lesley Cook, a clinical psychologist and an expert in the field of neurodiversity-affirming assessment and treatment of children, adolescents and adults.

🩺🥼 Vitals is a series that’s taking a new approach to health and medicine. Hosts Alok Patel, MD, and Sheena Williams RN are going beyond the headlines to answer your questions on the latest health topics. No judgment, no taboos. Just 100% science-based information.

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Find our experts and hosts:

:: Sheena William, RN ::
Twitter: @Keepingitkinky1
Instagram: @keepingitkinky

:: Alok Patel, MD ::
Website: http://alokpatelmd.com/
Twitter: @AlokPatelMD
Instagram: @alokpatelmd

::Kip Chow::
Check out their TedxTalk on this topic:    • Why are so many autistic adults undia...  
Twitter: @kipmchow

::Dr. Lesley Cook, PsyD::
Dr. Lesley Cook is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist at WellSpring Child and Family Psychology in Virginia
TikTok: @lesleypsyd

Research:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/dat...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...


Helpful resources:
Check out ASAN for their comprehensive list of elected officials and policies:
https://autisticadvocacy.org/

To read more on neurodiversity and to find information and resources for newly diagnosed or recognized autistic women and nonbinary individuals, from an autistic-led organization, check out:
https://awnnetwork.org/

Resources in your state can be found here:
https://www.aane.org/
https://www.autismspeaks.org/resource...

Some suggested reading from our community:
- Neurotribes: The Legacy of Autism and the Future of Neurodiversity
- Loud Hands: Autistic People, Speaking
- Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity
- In a Different Key: The Story of Autism
- All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism
- I Will Die on This Hill: Autistic Adults, Autism Parents, and the Children Who Deserve a Better World.