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The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant consequences for all areas of human life. This particularly applies to people with intellectual disability (ID) whose functioning and living environment are associated with many specific risk factors. The review is to determine what difficulties and changes in the psychosocial functioning of people with ID have been brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and what factors may be important in dealing with them. Twenty studies focused on the experiences of people with ID during the COVID-19 pandemic were analyzed. All of these were qualitative (n = 16) and mixed-method studies (n = 4). The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes in the lives of people with ID, mainly in the organization of support and services. This has had important consequences for their psychosocial functioning. There has been a decrease in competencies and social integration, and an increase in difficult behaviors and mental problems. The challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic have also resulted in positive changes: people with ID have developed technology skills and personality traits such as responsibility for themselves and others. People with ID have mastered safety habits to a varying degree. It is important to support them in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining a balance between protecting them from risk and ensuring their autonomy.

The present article is a systematic review of literature, examining the extent to which there is interest in old age of people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and the issues in this field that are analyzed. The focus was on psychosocial aspects of functioning. The conducted literature review, using databases, covered the years 2000-2019. As a result of a search, a total of 7728 records were selected. Thirty-two articles meeting the search criteria were qualified for detailed analysis. The reviewed papers focused on the mental dimension of functioning, including cognitive processes of the elderly and mental disorders. Researchers also verified changes in difficult behavior and autistic traits. Issues regarding the social functioning of the elderly with ASD are almost absent.