Virginia Lee
Independent Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the U.S.A.
Abstract Title:
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) Comparison in Review
Biography:
Dr. Virginia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker dedicated to advancing holistic healing, mental wellness, and organizational excellence. With extensive experience across outpatient clinics, hospital systems, palliative and hospice care, skilled nursing facilities, home-based services, and telehealth settings, she brings a comprehensive and compassionate approach to patient care. Her work focuses on supporting teens, adults, and older adults facing aging-related concerns, ADHD, mood disorders, PTSD, burnout, bereavement, life transitions, addiction, and palliative care needs.
Her therapeutic practice is grounded in evidence-based approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Somatic Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Interventions, Meaning-Centered Therapy, Emotional Focused Therapy, Positive Psychology, Nutritional Mental Health, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Progressive Muscle Relaxation, and Reiki.
Dr. Virginia is also actively engaged in leadership and organizational development through the application of SWOT analysis and the Baldrige Framework for Performance Excellence. She serves as a conference speaker, abstract reviewer, and member of the National Ethics Committee of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Additionally, she is an author and contributor to the Journal of Neuro and Oncology Research and the International Journal of School and Cognitive Psychology, reflecting her commitment to advancing research, ethics, and professional practice.
Research Interests:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), especially with co-occurring Intellectual Disability (ID), is associated with significantly increased dementia risk. There is a notable tendency toward early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. These findings support a lifespan neurobiological model, linking early neurodevelopmental disruption to later neurodegeneration.
Beyond early-life manifestations, accumulating epidemiological evidence suggests that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may confer long-term risk for neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias. A population-based cohort study by Diamandis et al. (2025) reported that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit a significantly elevated risk of dementia, with those who also have ID demonstrating nearly threefold increased risk compared to the general population. Furthermore, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) were more likely to develop early-onset dementia, indicating a potentially accelerated trajectory of neurodegeneration. These findings suggest that neurodevelopmental disruptions in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may predispose individuals to later-life cognitive decline, particularly when compounded by intellectual impairment. Phillips (2026) proposed that impaired cerebrospinal fluid drainage may be a unifying mechanism linking autism spectrum disorder (ASD)and Alzheimer’s disease (AD, whereby reduced clearance efficiency contributes to neuroinflammation, synaptic dysfunction, and eventual neurodegeneration.
