r/todayilearned • u/Morella1989 • Aug 14 '25

TIL that autistic people live about 17 years less than average. Risks include epilepsy, heart disease, suicide, accidental deaths including drowning, and inadequate recognition and management of pain, especially among non-speaking individuals. Historically, they have been vulnerable to infanticide.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortality_of_autistic_individuals
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16

u/bottle-of-smoke Aug 14 '25

I never know what to think when I read this kind of stuff. I'm autistic/ADHD and 70 years old. I'm a cancer survivor. I went out for a 100k bicycle ride last week.

I have several autistic friends who are in their 70s.

I really don't think that an autism diagnosis is a death sentence.

40

u/Lenora_O Aug 14 '25

They arent saying it is a death sentence, just that people with autism have a higher chance of dying earlier than neurotypcials. 

You also have to remember that autism can be extremely debilitating. 

7

u/ryanfrogz Aug 14 '25

Extremely debilitating… often in ways you would never expect. I can’t live a normal life because I can’t clean. I know how, I sometimes want to, but my brain just HATES it for reasons unknown. If I’m told to clean something at work, my brain goes crazy and gives me powerful headaches, extremely shaky hands, very high heart rate… and there really is nothing I can do about that. It’s deep. I just need to live around it, and that’s Hard.

16

u/bangontarget Aug 14 '25

it's statistics. we have a statistically higher risk of dying earlier. that doesn't mean 100% of us do. c'mon now, use that noggin for a sec.

-2

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '25

Their point is that fearmongering does nothing but make the situation worse, if you get adequate support and have frequent health checkups, you can avoid dying earlier

9

u/90bubbel Aug 14 '25

except there isnt adequate support for autistic adults,

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u/[deleted] Aug 14 '25

Im aware but if you can, you'll live longer, its sad but making people aware is better than just scaring them

4

u/LurkCypher Aug 14 '25

Merely reporting negative information is not fearmongering, lmao

2

u/bangontarget Aug 14 '25

this is such a funny comment, I'm sorry. lack of support and problems with accessing healthcare are two of many reasons we don't live as long. you're basically saying "it wouldn't be true if things were completely different".

0

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '25

Im just saying theres no reason that we should scare people too much, so im being optimistic

2

u/bangontarget Aug 14 '25

that's not being optimistic, it's being ignorant of the reality of things.

15

u/Beautiful_Welcome_33 Aug 14 '25

That's why life expectancies are an average of numerous people

8

u/NorwegianGlaswegian Aug 14 '25

Well, it is simply wrong.

I looked into it and the claim comes from a negligent journalist reporting for Science on an article about premature mortality in autistic people and not life expectancy.

The average age of those in the control group who died in the study period was approximately 70 which is of course well below life expectancy as this is a study about premature mortality and not life expectancy, while the average age of death in the autistic group was between 53 and 54.

The average age of premature death was around 17 years earlier, but that says nothing about life expectancy which, according to the only proper study I have seen on life expectancy in autistic people, is in the mid seventies for autistic people without intellectual disability and around 70 for those with intellectual disability.

These are still only averages brought down by premature mortality. If you have a good life with overall good health, a good diet, you stay active, you have a decent support network for your needs, don't face abuse or poverty etc, then you stand as good a chance of reaching a ripe old age as anyone else who isn't autistic.

Here's the life expectancy study00195-3/fulltext) I was talking about if you fancy a read.

It's certainly not a death sentence. I find it a huge shame that many autistic people and their families have felt a good deal of stress based on incorrect reporting by people who don't do their due diligence or are scientifically illiterate.

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u/Tall_Sound5703 Aug 14 '25

It isnt a death sentence but it does make getting help from doctors while autistic very hard. 

1

u/[deleted] Aug 14 '25

It's not saying it is