dently in adulthood; those who do  tend to have superior lang uage and intellectual abilities
and are able to find a niche that matches thei r special interests and skills. In general, indi-
viduals with lower levels of impairment may be better able to function independently.
However, even these individuals may remain socially naive and vulnerable, have difficul-
ties organizing practical dema nds without aid, and are pron e to anxiety and depression.
Many adults report using compensation strate gies and coping mechanisms to mask their
difficulties in public but suffer from the stress  and effort of maintaining a socially accept-
able facade. Scarcely anything is known ab out old age in autism  spectrum disorder.
Some individuals come for first diagnosis in  adulthood, perhaps prompted by the diagno-
sis of autism in a child in the family or a breakdown of relations at work or home. Obtaining de-
tailed developmental history in such  cases may be difficult, and it  is important to consider self-
reported difficulties. Where clinical observat ion suggests criteria are currently met, autism
spectrum disorder may be diagno sed, provided there is no evidence of good social and com-
munication skills in childhood. For example, the re port (by parents or another relative) that the
individual had ordinary and sustained recipr ocal friendships and good nonverbal communi-
cation skills throughout childhood would rule out a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder;
however, the absence of de velopmental information in itself should not do so.
Manifestations of the social and communication impairments and restricted/repeti-
tive behaviors that define autism spectrum d isorder are clear in th e developmental period.
In later life, intervention or compensation, as well as current supports, may mask these dif-