Why We Need More Autistic Health Care Professionals and How to Support Them

Abstract

Many autistic characteristics (especially attention to detail, social nonconformity, monotropism, and knowledge of autism) set autistic health care professionals apart as especially well-suited for their fields. Increasing the number of autistic health care professionals will benefit their clients, colleagues, and health care fields as a whole. Autistic health care professionals face many challenges, including being misunderstood and discouraged from participating in their fields. Despite the challenges, many health care professionals are thriving. Autistic connections and solidarity are an important part of helping autistic health care professionals overcome obstacles and succeed. Suggestions for making health care more accommodating of autistic people are offered. Recommendations are also provided for autistic health care professionals looking to find community and meet others in the same position.

Community Brief

Why is this topic important?

Autistic people have many characteristics that are well-suited to health care. It can be difficult for autistic health care professionals to become health care professionals, and once they do, their autistic characteristics are sometimes misunderstood instead of appreciated. Autistic health care professionals have many traits that set them apart as being especially good at what they do, but others in their fields may not always be aware of that. The autistic community, and people in general, benefit from autistic health care professionals.

What is the purpose of this article?

The purpose of this article is to draw attention to the various ways that autistic characteristics are beneficial in health care and discuss some of the obstacles that health care professionals face. The main point is that although it may be difficult to be an autistic health care professional, we (as a society) need more of them.

What personal or professional perspectives do the authors bring to this topic?

The author is a clinical psychologist working in private practice and in an academic medical center. The majority of her time is focused on autism assessment and consultation, and she spends long periods of time listening to the stories of autistic professionals as they explore their identities and collaborate to find recommendations that will make their work experiences go more smoothly. She also consults with health care providers on better serving autistic clients in different health care settings. The author is also influenced by autistic colleagues and mentors with whom she regularly consults and collaborates. The author combines the knowledge gained from listening to clients’ stories, working with autistic people, learning from autistic people, and reading formal research on autistic experiences.

What is already known about this topic?

There are some individual accounts of autistic people thriving as well as experiencing difficulties in health care, and there is some research on groups of people within the same profession (e.g., doctors, psychologists, medical students), but this article combines this information to show the overall trends across health care professions. There have been some previous articles on autistic strengths among doctors, researchers, and psychologists separately. This article summarizes the overall findings of autistic strengths in specific areas across health care professions.

What does the author recommend?

The author recommends that autistic health care professionals work together to support each other and change their professions for the better by finding community and joining groups for autistic health care professionals. The author also offers recommendations for workplaces and individual health care workers to be more accommodating of autistic professionals.

How will these recommendations help autistic adults now or in the future?

Improving conditions for autistic health care professionals will make it more likely that they can thrive and less likely that they will burn out or change careers. Increasing the number of autistic health care professionals will also make it easier to be an autistic health care professional, which will open up more career opportunities. Helping autistic health care professionals find community will reduce the likelihood that they will burn out or drop out. It will also support them in making changes in their professions. Autistic adults in general are also well-served by autistic health care professionals. Even if autistic adults are not served directly by autistic health care professionals, their presence will help change their fields for the better, which will improve health care for autistic people.