| Description |
As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to increase, the potential for interaction in the medical environment is inevitable. The awareness of ASD among health care professionals (HCPs), including child life specialists (CLSs), is crucial for the quality of care and successful health care experiences for youth with ASD. Children with autism are at an increased risk of experiencing challenges in the health care environment and may need extra support such as that provided by a child life specialist. The current research study uses a mixed-methods survey to examine the experiences parents of youth with autism spectrum disorder, child life specialists, and other health care professionals face in health care settings. Analyses indicate that parents are facing many barriers to receiving quality health care services for their child and that their HCPs are rarely using additional supports and accommodations to help during experiences. In addition, analyses indicate that HCPs are facing many challenges working with patients with ASD, yet they are untrained and frequently do not use additional strategies to support patients during visits. Lastly, CLSs are trained to work with patients with ASD and use additional strategies to support patients with ASD and should be utilized more when working with this population. The results are used to inform health care professionals of the supports children with ASD need during health care experiences and improve quality and access to health care services for this population. |
