AS Malaysia prepares for an ageing population, the needs of the neurodivergent community and families who have provided lifelong care must be firmly incorporated into the country's planning for ageing, long-term care and community support.

This was the key message from a forum which explored the issue of ageing and families with neurodivergent children.

Organised by the Malaysian Healthy Ageing Society (MHAS) in collaboration with Oasis Place, the forum, titled "The Next Chapter: Planning for Neurodivergent Lives and Ageing Families", brought together healthcare and social-care professionals, caregivers, advocates and stakeholders to address an increasingly important question: what happens to neurodivergent adults when parents and caregivers who have supported them throughout their lives begin to age themselves?