The Right to Keep Being: Longevity and Neurodiversity

Your life is not defined only by how many years you live, but by how those years recognize who you are. In the debate about longevity, we usually think about retirement, grandchildren, care, or nursing homes, but there is a group of people almost absent from these images: neurodivergent people — those living with autism, intellectual disability, Down syndrome, or other neurodevelopmental conditions. Their old age exists, even if it remains invisible.

Aging While Neurodivergent

For decades, it was assumed that the life expectancy of people with intellectual disabilities would be short. That view reduced expectations and limited policies. However, medical and social advances have changed the horizon: in Spain, for example, the life expectancy of people with Down syndrome has gone from around 25 years in the 1970s to over 60 today.

This opens up a new reality: many families and communities today accompany neurodivergent people on their path to old age. A longevity that until recently seemed unlikely, and that now raises an urgent question: how can we ensure that they can age without losing identity, dignity, or rights?

In addition, aging with neurodiversity often implies greater risks of loneliness. The network of friendships may be smaller and dependence on family stronger, which increases vulnerability in later years. Added to this is the lack of visible role models: there are hardly any public images of older autistic people or those with intellectual disabilities, which fuels their social invisibility and makes it harder to recognize their specific needs.

Rights That Do Not Expire

The right to keep being means that the years added to life should not turn into years of exclusion. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognizes the full and equal participation of all people, including in old age.

But practice falls short of this principle: active aging programs designed for a “standard older adult,” health services without cognitive accessibility, or policies that ignore the specific needs of neurodiversity. Making them invisible is not a minor issue: it is a form of discrimination.

Some countries are already paving the way. In Australia, for example, national plans have been developed that include specific guidelines for the aging of people with intellectual disabilities, integrating accessibility criteria and professional training into the health system. These advances show that inclusion is not a luxury, but a legal obligation and a human right.

Care Adapted to Each Life Path

Aging better means receiving supports tailored to who each person is. For those who are neurodivergent, this requires:

• Specialized health care, that considers more common conditions, such as early-onset dementia in people with Down syndrome.
• Accessible environments, with clear communication, predictable routines, and visual supports.
• Real community options, that prevent isolation and recognize desires and abilities in old age.
• Ongoing training for professionals and caregivers, to understand how longevity and neurodiversity intersect.

Some countries are already exploring solutions: inclusive residences in Canada, accessible community programs in the Netherlands, supported housing promoted by families in Spain. Experiences that show it is indeed possible to integrate longevity and diversity.

A Cultural and Ethical Issue

Beyond care, the challenge is cultural and ethical. Cultural, because we need to broaden the social imagination of old age to include neurodiversity. Ethical, because if longevity aspires to guarantee well-being, it cannot exclude those who need the most support.

Accepting neurodiversity in old age is not only a matter of services: it is about recognizing the dignity of lives that for too long have been silenced.

Toward an Inclusive Longevity

Neurodivergent old age reminds us that longevity has many faces. Building long-lived societies means integrating all life paths, including those that do not fit into the dominant mold.

The right to keep being is, ultimately, the right to preserve identity, voice, and belonging at every stage of life. And it challenges us all: are we ready for a truly inclusive longevity?

A society that recognizes diversity in old age not only protects the most vulnerable: it also enriches itself collectively. Guaranteeing care and rights for those who will age while neurodivergent means moving toward a model of longevity that is more human, fair, and conscious of its plurality. Because caring for that difference is, in reality, caring for society as a whole.

If you knew that your longevity would be marked by a condition of neurodivergence…, what would you ask of society so you could keep being yourself, without losing your voice or your dignity?