People with autism died significantly younger than the general population, at a mean age of 36 years old, compared to 72 in the general population. Among injury deaths specifically, autistic people died at a mean age of 29, while the mean age among those without autism was 55.
About 40 percent of fatal injuries among people with autism occurred in homes or residential institutions. The most common causes were suffocation, choking and drowning.
Children in particular were at the greatest risk. While people with autism had three times the rate of death from accidental injury, overall, compared to the general population, the rate was 42 times higher among children under age 15.
