Autism Across the Lifespan: Clinical and Research Imperatives

In her keynote address, Dr. Margaret Bauman draws on decades of clinical experience and research to highlight that autism is fundamentally a lifespan condition. As the founder of the LADDERS program — which became the model for the national Autism Treatment Network — she has witnessed the evolution of autism understanding from a narrow childhood focus to a comprehensive life-course perspective.

Key challenges she identifies include: the 'services cliff' where young adults lose support after aging out of school-based services; the lack of research on aging in autistic populations; the need for healthcare systems that understand autism across the adult lifespan; and the importance of addressing co-occurring medical conditions that may change with age.

Her 2011 INSAR Lifetime Achievement Award reflects her pioneering role in expanding how clinicians and researchers think about autism care beyond early childhood.