A Convergence of Autism and Alzheimer's

Those of us immersed in the world of autism know that the numbers of children receiving that diagnosis are truly increasing, and likely will continue even with the upcoming changes of the DSM-V. Providing the education, housing and overall assistance that the families and these children require will cost everyone - and lots! There simply is no inexpensive way to educate these kids short of denying them services. And that may be a by-product of the new DSM-V; eliminating some of the previous categories of people who fall under the 'spectrum' label and thereby not providing them the services they need. Nonetheless, the lifetime expense of a person with autism are significant, with education and housing particularly driving the costs.

However, at the same time we are seeing the incidence of autism rising, we are also hearing much about the impending tsunami of baby boomers approaching old age. As older people are much more likely to suffer strokes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, etc., their disabilities will also demand increased funding to pay for services. And we are living longer. This convergence of two very costly groups should be at the forefront of policy makers' agendas. But I certainly don't hear much about it other than notice that both populations are increasing in size. No mention of how we will be able to pay for all this.

How will we be able to care for all these people and make the services more cost effective? Certainly the focus on healthy life styles is important as it may keep older people healthier longer and out of the system. For people with autism, I think it is critical to not view them as 'consumers' but as people who can participate and contribute in their local communities. The more opportunities they have to both volunteer and even work, the better. As the rest of the community becomes more familiar with people with disabilities, they are more likely to tolerate the differences people with disabilities display. Everyone will benefit, including older people. Yes, it is a Pollyanna way of looking at things, but I'm not sure what else can be done until there is a true understanding of what the issues are that we all are facing.