Cos Michael

Autistic Autism & Ageing Consultant  

I was diagnosed as autistic at 50 years old and found there was almost no research or information about autism and older adulthood. So I began advocating to improve knowledge about autism and ageing. For some years, I led the NAS’s Autism and Ageing workstream, winning the Autism Professionals Award for Outstanding Adult Services, 2014.   

Since becoming freelance, I am often invited to speak in public, presenting on ageing in the UK and abroad, including to the UNCPD. I am a consultant on the Autism Spectrum, Adulthood and Ageing project: and researcher on Improving the Health of Older Autistic People project, both at Newcastle University, as well as working on research projects in Edinburgh and London. I also provide training around autistic ageing, health and wellbeing.  

In 2016 I wrote an editorial for the journal “Autism”, “Why we need research about autism and ageing”; and co-wrote a chapter “Listen to the experts: autistic adults tell us what they need”, in “Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mid and Later Life”. Ed: Scott Wright. I have also contributed to several project research papers. This is a recent article: ‘Ideal or Ordeal: How do older people fare in residential care homes?’  

In the past, I have worked at the BBC, the National Sound Archive and in the theatre. I have a BSc Social Anthropology. 

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