Autism Life Expectancy

There is a trend in the high functioning autistic community to insult parents looking for therapies and a possible cure for their child's Autism. Their logical fallacy argument is “this means that,” this means parents aren't accepting their child as they are.

There are 2 problems with this mindset.

First, it doesn't acknowledge there is a spectrum. It doesn't show compassion for low-functioning, sickly children and adults who need medical attention, special diets, nutritional supplements, and round the clock care, some unable to even meet their most basic needs.

Aspergers is no longer used to separate high functioning autistic people from low functioning. Please forgive my speculation…without this distinction, it's possible high functioning Autistic people want to normalize Autism in an attempt to make themselves feel like they don't have a mental disorder. For Aspergers who feel superior, many are considered gifted in certain areas. It's possible they would not want to give this up. Parents looking for a cure might seem like a threat to their desire for specialness.

The second problem with this, conditions tied to Autism can be a risk factor that reduces the average life expectancy of individuals.

Life expectancy of Autistic people

A 2008 study conducted in Denmark found that the mortality risk of those with Autism was nearly twice that of the general population. Furthermore, individuals with Autism generally succumb to health complications approximately 15 to 20 years earlier than the general population.

Longitudinal studies that followed people with Autism for over 20 years found that the average life expectancy ranges between 39 years and 58 years. Individuals who are more severely affected by Autism have a shorter life expectancy than those less affected by the disorder.

According to the DSM-5, there are three levels of Autism, each requiring varying degrees of support.

Level 1

Individuals that fall within level 1 are considered to have a mild form of Autism requiring minimal support typically within the areas of socialization and understanding nonverbal communication. The life expectancy for people with Level 1 Autism is the highest of the three levels and falls slightly below the average life expectancy of the general population.

Level 2

In level 2 Autism, individuals are moderately affected and can require substantial support due to challenges with socializing, verbal communication, and nonverbal communication. The life expectance for level 2 Autism ranges from 50 to 60 years which is slightly lower than level 1.

Level 3

Level 3 Autism requires substantial support for a prolonged period. People in this category are typically nonverbal and have difficulty understanding verbal and nonverbal communication and socializing and have numerous repetitive behavior patterns. In some estimates, life expectancy for level 3 Autism is as low as 35 to 40 years old.

My son is in this lowest category. Finding ways to support his health and longevity is my top priority whether someone with high functioning Autism likes it or not.

Why do low functioning autistic people have such a short life span?

Many severely autistic children may have immune defects.

In an attempt to help my son I found Dr. Sudhir Gupta, UCIrvine, an internationally recognized expert in cellular and molecular immunology.

He diagnosed my son with severe immunodeficiency due to thymectomy during heart surgery. It wasn't bad enough that Autism carries risk of immune system defects. Cardiac surgeons at UCLA stole his only hope of survival without immune intervention, his thymus organ.

Dr. Sudhir Gupta and his colleagues at the University of California, Irvine (UCI) have conducted research treating autism successfully with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG). He has also written about the adaptive and innate immune responses in autism, current and potential future uses of IVIG in the treatment of autoimmune disorders, and published articles on “nutritional thymectomy,” a condition where malnourished infants and children's thymuses shrink until they no longer function. When these children are given optimal nutrition and gain weight, their thymus grows, and their immune system improves.

Unfortunately, Dr.Gupta didn't accept my insurance, UCLA refused to help him after taking his thymus organ and a doctor under our insurance refused to help him. I also contacted DrMarker from Duke University who takes thymus organs from infants during heart surgery and implants them into other infants. She also refused to help Daniel. I've been on my own trying to find treatments, supplements and doctors willing to prescribe thymus peptides for him.