evidence: Better diagnosis, access to care and adequate support are all essential to improving the outlook for this neglected group of seniors, experts say — although there are few studies to support these observations. "There really is no systematic research on autism over 65, and so we really don’t know the nature of the problems," says Joseph Piven, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "But the ‘pig in the python’ is headed our way, with the aging population and recognition of higher prevalence of autism than was once thought."