Peer-Reviewed

Autistic individuals are more likely than others to experience poor heart and cardiovascular health. This review brings together current research to better understand why these differences exist and what can be done to address them. Studies show that autistic people are more likely to have risk factors for heart disease, such as higher rates of obesity, stress, and certain co-occurring health conditions. These risks do not come from a single cause. Instead, they reflect a combination of factors, including health behaviors (such as diet and physical activity), biological processes (like stress hormones and inflammation), mental health, access to healthcare, and broader social and environmental influences. Family context and individual differences also play an important role. At the same time, existing research has important gaps. Many studies do not take a full, life-span view of health or fail to capture the complex ways that physical and mental health interact over time. This review highlights the need for more comprehensive and inclusive research approaches. Future studies should examine cardiovascular health across development, consider multiple levels of influence (from biology to environment), and focus on meaningful health outcomes rather than autism traits alone.

This study explored how college students understand and feel about autism and neurodiversity, and whether higher education can help reduce stigma as autistic students transition into adulthood. Most students expressed high overall acceptance of autistic people, but views were more mixed when it came to whether autistic behaviors should be changed or treated. Students also showed strong interest in neurodiversity, alongside wide differences in how much they knew about it. These findings suggest colleges have an important opportunity to build on students’ interest and promote more informed, stigma-reducing campus environments.

This study followed young adults with disabilities from ages 18 to 28 to understand how their mental well-being (“flourishing”) and overall health change over time. Compared with their peers without disabilities, young adults with developmental or learning disabilities, ADHD, and speech or vision impairments reported lower well-being and poorer health. Young adults with ADHD and developmental or learning disabilities often faced the greatest challenges, and their health and well-being followed different patterns over time. These findings highlight the need for targeted supports during the transition to adulthood to promote better health and well-being for young people with disabilities.

In the United States, about 1 in 6 children has an intellectual and/or developmental disability (I/DD). Across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, people with I/DD experience worse health outcomes than the general population. One important and preventable reason for these disparities is stigma—negative attitudes, stereotypes, and discrimination that occur in schools, healthcare settings, communities, and public policy. This article discusses how preventing stigma can improve the health of people with I/DD across the lifespan.