A new study that followed autistic people from childhood into adulthood found that certain practical skills were associated with later outcomes in areas such as employment, housing, and social relationships. The findings reinforce the importance of providing ongoing opportunities to learn and practice skills that are useful in real life.

When we think about education and support for autistic children and adolescents, much of the attention is often focused on academic performance, communication, or social skills. However, seemingly simple activities—managing money, using a phone, preparing food, navigating the community, or completing household tasks—may also play an important role over the long term.

A study published on September 16, 2026, in the scientific journal Development and Psychopathology examined this very issue.

Researchers Elaine Clarke, Hannah Singer, and Catherine Lord analyzed information from 232 autistic people who were followed from childhood until approximately 33 years of age. The goal was to determine which daily living skills, at different stages of development, were associated with later outcomes in adulthood.

What are daily living skills?

These are the abilities that help a person manage everyday activities.

They can include, for example:

• getting dressed and taking care of personal hygiene;

• preparing food;

• helping with household tasks;

• managing money;

• using a phone;

• shopping;

• navigating public places;

• following safety rules;

• taking part in work- and community-related activities.

These skills should not be understood as a requirement for every person to become completely independent.

A person may need support throughout their life and, at the same time, learn skills that increase their autonomy, decision-making ability, safety, and participation in the community.

A study that followed people for decades

One of the most important features of this research is its duration.

The researchers examined daily living skills when participants were approximately 5, 9, 14, and 18 years old, and later studied different aspects of their adult lives, including:

employment, living situation, social relationships, and well-being.

Rather than looking only at a general score of “adaptive functioning,” the researchers examined specific skills and used statistical machine-learning models to study which ones were most strongly associated with different later outcomes.

Community-related skills were especially relevant

One of the most interesting findings was that skills used to navigate the community repeatedly appeared among the factors most strongly associated with certain adult outcomes.

These included abilities related to using money and using a phone.

Skills assessed during childhood and adolescence showed an ability to statistically predict later outcomes such as employment and social relationships.

For example, skills assessed at around 5 years of age explained a considerable proportion of the variation later seen in employment-related outcomes.

However, this requires a very important clarification.

The study does not show that learning a specific skill guarantees a particular future outcome.

The fact that two factors are related does not necessarily mean that one directly causes the other.

A child who develops certain skills early in life may also have had access to better support, more learning opportunities, particular personal characteristics, or many other circumstances that later influence their life.

For that reason, these findings should not be used to predict the future of an individual autistic child.

There is no single “magic” skill and no age limit for learning

Perhaps one of the most important messages from the study is what the researchers did not find.

There was no single skill that was essential for achieving positive outcomes in every area of adulthood.

There was also no single developmental stage during which these skills had to be learned.

The authors state that the findings support the importance of providing ongoing opportunities to learn and practice daily living skills throughout development.

This is especially important for families of autistic adolescents and adults.

Turning 18 does not mean that the opportunity to learn has ended.

Skills can continue to be taught, practiced, and developed during young adulthood and later adulthood, with the level of support each person needs.

Learning in real-life situations can be essential

Daily living skills do not have to be taught only in a classroom.

Many can be practiced as part of everyday life.

For example, an autistic person may gradually participate in:

buying an item in a store, comparing prices, paying for a purchase, preparing a simple meal, using transportation, making an appointment, making a phone call, sending a message, organizing a routine, doing laundry, completing a household task, or participating in a work or volunteer activity.

The level of support can be adjusted.

A person may begin by completing only one part of an activity and gradually take on other responsibilities when they are ready.

Some people will also need ongoing support throughout their lives. That does not reduce the value of allowing them to participate, make choices, and develop skills that are meaningful to them.

Autonomy does not mean “doing everything alone”

This point is especially important when talking about autism.

The goal should not be to force a person to prove independence or to measure their value according to how much they can do without help.

Autonomy also means being able to:

make decisions, express preferences, ask for help, participate in the community, and have greater control over one’s own life.

Support can be part of autonomy.

A person may live with family members, use assistive technology, have a support worker, or need supervision for certain activities and still have meaningful opportunities to learn, participate, and make decisions.

The study also has limitations

Like all research, these findings should be interpreted with caution.

The sample included 232 participants, approximately 19% were female and 69% were White. In addition, the participants came from a cohort that began being studied decades ago, and many had been identified as autistic during childhood.

Because of this, the findings may not fully represent the enormous diversity of today’s autistic population, including people diagnosed during adolescence or adulthood, autistic women, racialized autistic people, and people with different support needs.

The researchers themselves highlight the need to replicate these findings in larger and more diverse samples.

What can we learn from this research?

The study does not provide a formula for guaranteeing employment, friendships, or independent living.

But it does reinforce an important idea:

practical daily living skills deserve a much more prominent place in the education and support provided to autistic people.

In addition to teaching mathematics, language, or academic subjects, it may be worth asking:

Are we providing opportunities to learn how to manage money?

To shop?

To cook?

To use transportation?

To communicate when help is needed?

To learn work-related skills?

To actively participate in tasks at home and in the community?

And perhaps the most important question is:

Are we teaching these skills in ways that respect each autistic person’s pace, abilities, support needs, and choices?

Preparing for adulthood should not mean trying to turn an autistic person into someone they are not.

It should mean providing them with tools, opportunities, support, and real-life experiences that increase their ability to participate in the life they want to build.

Scientific source

Clarke, E., Singer, H. & Lord, C. (2026). Developmental cascades of daily living skills matter for adult outcomes in autism. Development and Psychopathology. Published online September 16, 2026.

Read the original study at Cambridge University Press