Older kids with Autism still wear diapers all the time due to sensory aversions to the environment of bathrooms, communication barriers, developmental delays and even having difficulties with interoception, which is recognizing their internal body signals like a full bladder.
Many children with autism also reach bladder and bowel control milestones much later than children without autism, which is normal.
For kids with autism, bathrooms and restrooms can be very overwhelming due to loud flushing noises, bright lights and even strong smells or even the cold hard feel of a toilet seat can cause severe distress in children with autism.
Some children, especially those with autism can't physically feel or even interpret their bodily sensations that signal that it's time to use the bathroom and non verbal or even minimally verbal children can struggle to tell someone when they have to use the toilet or can't express discomfort.
And autistic children also thrive on routines that are rigid and diapers to autistic children are a familiar and lifelong habit, and transitioning away from wearing and using diapers full time to using a toilet breaks a deeply ingrained comfort zone.
Also undressing quickly and balancing on a strange toilet, or even dealing with chronic constipation can make the actual physical act of using the toilet too complex or even painful for an autistic child.
Some children with autism eventually potty train by 7 to 10 years old and some children with autism may not potty train and stop using diapers full time until 15 to 18 and some children with autism may not be able to potty train at all and need diapers their whole lives depending on the severity of the autism.
Older kids with Autism also sometimes strip down to their diaper in public as a result of sensory overload and even heat sensitivity and communication limits.
Even heat sensitivity can cause older kids with Autism to strip down to their diaper in public.
Clothes for kids with Autism can also feel too scratchy, tight or heavy and taking their clothes off even in public and stripping down to their diaper even in public can help the child with Autism to feel calm.
Older kids with Autism are not humiliated or embarrassed like kids without Autism would feel embarrassed or humiliated and kids with Autism have brains that are wired differently.
So to an older kid with Autism being seen in just their diaper past toddler age would not be embarrassing or humiliating to them like a kid without autism would be embarrassed or humiliated being seen in just a diaper in public.
To the kid with autism their focus is mainly on comfort and so they will readily strip down to their diaper or underwear no matter where they are.
I have a 7 year old nephew who has autism and he's in diapers full time and he does occasionally strip down to just his Luvs diaper that he wears in public as well.
Although the 7 year old nephew stripping down to just his diaper does not happen all the time but it does on occasion and can be embarrassing.
Sometimes he'll just prefer to be in just his diaper and shoes and ride in the basket of the shopping cart or go to the park that way as well and he's often in just his diaper or diaper, shirt and shoes at home as he's more comfortable that way.
It's very normal for kids with autism to prefer to not wear clothes and it's also very normal for many older kids with autism to wear diapers full time either for the rest of their life or even until past 8 to 12 years old as some kids with autism may eventually toilet train and others may not.
But when it comes to autism and stripping to their diaper or underwear the main reason older kids strip to their diaper or underwear in public or even at home is from irritation, overheating and to get relief.
Stripping to their diaper or underwear removes the bothersome feeling fast and autistic children often also run hot or can't regulate their body temperature well and tags, seams or fabrics also can feel painful to an autistic child's sensitive skin.
Children with often tell you that their shirt is itchy or that they are hot and they don't yet know about social rules or privacy in public and children with autism often take off clothes at home for bath time or comfort and then do it outside as well.
Autism also affects children and adults in different ways and some kids with autism can speak and others cannot as well.
Below is a video of a 7 year old boy named Nathan who is autistic and has other health issues as well and he also has to wear a diaper which is normal.
7 year old boy Nathan Autism wearing Luvs diapers