Bereavement and Autism: A Universal Event With Unique Challenges

Bereavement is a universal, but often misunderstood and overlooked, life experience. The rate of autism diagnosis is on the rise. Grief from bereavement can be very difficult for any person. However, with the unique challenges many on the autism spectrum may face, the grief process may be different or more of a challenge for these individuals than their neurotypical counterparts. I combine my personal and academic experiences with bereavement and autism. Bereavement is a universal, but often misunderstood, experience. The rate of autism being diagnosed is on the rise. Grief from bereavement can be very difficult for any person. However, with the unique challenges many on the autism spectrum may face, the grief recovery process may be different or more of a challenge for these individuals than their neurotypical counterparts. I combine my personal experience with bereavement and being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome with my research and volunteer experiences with grieving individuals to predict the unique challenges that people on the spectrum may experience in the face of bereavement. The objectives of my presentation are to give a general introduction to bereavement in general and then to talk about how autism may manifest itself in the face of bereavement. I presented this paper in April at the Marshall University College of Liberal Arts Research & Creativity Conference and have adapted this presentation for audiences familiar with autism.