Clinical Care for Autistic Adults

Course Overview

Given the challenges of caring for adults with autism, many physicians and clinicians find themselves underprepared for the complexity of diagnoses, the diversity of presentations, and the coordination of care. The Clinical Care for Autistic Adults course, is led by nationally recognized experts, with extensive expertise caring for adults with autism.   

If you provide care for, or are preparing to welcome patients with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) into your practice, this course will prove invaluable. It will inform and inspire you, and you will be empowered to provide personalized care for people with autism and their families. 

Adult Autism Health Resources: This site supports caregivers and advocates in exploring vetted and actionable information around important health needs for autistic individuals.

Course Goals: 

• Recognize the range of needs that ASD presents across the spectrum and lifespan. 
• Examine the gaps that exist for support of adult patients with ASD. 
• Identify key team members in the ongoing support of patients with ASD from childhood through adulthood.
• Apply best practices and strategies to better support patients during adult primary and specialist visits, screenings, and medical procedures. 
• Develop and utilize communication protocols to increase the effectiveness of transitions of care. 

Who Should Attend

Given the increasing prevalence among ASD in children and an aging population with ASD, relegating care to this patient population to specialized environments is neither sustainable nor advisable. All clinicians who work with adults will be working with individuals with ASD. Anyone who seeks to provide quality care to this population will come away from the experience more confident in their ability to deliver patient-centered, equitable care. 

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Describe the diversity of presentations of autism.  
• Describe the diagnostic criteria and process for ASD.  
• Identify common symptoms of co-occurring medical conditions.  
• Outline treatment or management of co-occurring conditions across the lifespan. 
• Explain how age, levels of independence of individuals with ASD, and guardianship can affect a patient’s medical care.  
• Describe clinician obligations to patients under ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).
• Demonstrate effective, respectful communication habits in a wellness visit.  
• Outline effective procedure planning and communication practices. 
• Describe approaches for coordinated and patient-centered transitions of care and physician-to-physician hand-offs.  
• Trace key social support system changes and their impact on health and how health care is accessed across the lifespan.  
• Describe the strengths and limitations of telehealth with regard to health care access and equity for patients with ASD .   
• Outline protocols for caring for adult patients with ASD in a crisis, including emergency department care and crisis prevention.  
• Identify the gaps that may exist for support of health care transitions for individuals with ASD in medical settings with which you are familiar. 
• Describe how to build a case for health care improvement for individuals with ASD in your current practice context.  
• Propose the composition of an effective ASD advocacy team, including roles and responsibilities for your current practice context. 
• Explain how health care benefits and insurance policies affect the care for patients with ASD across the lifespan.  
• Review clinician tools and resources that support prepared and inclusive care practices for adults with ASD and their caregivers.