Panel urges autism‑aware healthcare: training, sensory‑friendly settings and integrated care needed

A global panel on inclusive healthcare for autistic people identified clinician training, sensory‑accommodating facilities and integrated care pathways as immediate priorities to improve outcomes.

Why it matters: panelists said autistic people experience poorer health outcomes because many providers lack autism‑specific training and because systems are fragmented. "Most healthcare providers aren't trained in autism," said Theresa Haskins, a professor and consultant who works on neuroinclusion in the United States, noting that adults must often navigate diagnosis and supports on their own.

Panel recommendations and evidence: Erin Decker, an autistic job coach and researcher from Ontario, said clinicians should use specific, targeted questions and allow longer appointment times for some autistic patients. Decker recommended training clinicians in autistic‑friendly communication skills and involving autistic people in designing curricula. "Can you tell me specifically how that felt for you over the past two weeks?" Decker said as an example of a question that yields clearer clinical information.

Rob Holman, founder of ION’s U.S. chapter, and other panelists urged healthcare providers and facilities to adopt sensory adjustments — lower lighting, quieter spaces and predictable routines — and to include autistic people in facility redesigns. Andrea Palacios, a psychologist from Panama, recommended directly involving autistic patients in design trials: "Make them part — they have all the insight that we need."

Policy examples and gaps: panelists pointed to some existing practices — publicly funded autism assessments in parts of Australia and Europe; sensory‑friendly emergency departments in Canada and the Netherlands; and multidisciplinary, primary‑care‑embedded mental health models in Sweden and Scotland — but said they are exceptions rather than the rule. Haskins also noted that "autistic burnout" is not formally recognized in many systems, limiting access to appropriate care.

Practical steps proposed: mandatory autism awareness and communication training for health staff, routine inclusion of autistic people in service design, expanded publicly funded diagnostic pathways, pilot sensory‑adapted clinical spaces, and funding for multidisciplinary teams that coordinate physical and mental health care.

Next steps: panelists called for health systems to pilot integrated models and for funders and regulators to require autism‑informed training. They also recommended co‑designing services with autistic people and monitoring outcomes.