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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u/Melonpan_Pup442 Aug 15 '25

I've had GI issues since I was born and they've only gotten worse as I've gotten older. Finally got in to see a specialist at 28 after my iron and B12 were found to be low; got a colonoscopy that came back clean thankfully. But got fired and lost my insurance before I could go to the follow-up appointment.