ChildLife: Blog

Supporting Patients with Autism in the Healthcare Setting

Apr 1, 2025, 14:02 PM by Aubree Bailey
From the ACLP Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

What is Autism Spectrum Disorder?

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that affects how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave. It presents with a range of effects in social skills, repetitive behaviors, and communication that exist on a spectrum, meaning the presentation of ASD can range greatly from person to person (Nationwide Children's).


Barriers to Coping for Patients with Autism in a Healthcare Setting

1.Sensory overload: Includes touch from staff and supplies/equipment, taste of hospital food, fluorescent lighting, beeps and noises of equipment, medication tastes, and smells of cleaners

2.Difficulty communicating needs or feelings: Frustration or discomfort can be expressed through self-injurious behaviors, non-adherence, hyperactivity, or sensory defensiveness if overstimulated

3.Being out of routine: Being NPO, being in an unfamiliar place, or being awake at times when usually asleep

4.Stigmatization of Patients with Autism: Patients with autism sometimes get a reputation of being “difficult”, which may impact care from health care works if having this bias

Ways to Support Patients with ASD

•Pursue Adaptive Care Plans
•Incorporate caregivers as much as possible
•Use social stories
•Use visual schedules
•Provide sensory items for stimulation
•Advocate for low or reduced stimulation
•Give pre-admission hospital tours
•Maintain consistency in staffing and schedules as much as possible
•Use clear, direct language and recognizing non-verbal communication pathways


Read more about supporting patients with ASD and other developmental disabilities:

Meeting the Needs of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Families in Hospital Settings: The Perspectives of Certified Child Life Specialists and Nurses from The Journal of Child Life

Sensory Over-Responsivity (SOR) in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder on the #ChildLife Blog

Understanding Sensory Needs: Meeting a Child’s Unique World with Compassion and Care in the ACLP Bulletin

Lessons from the Adaptive Care Team: Strategies for Working with Patients with
Developmental Disabilities in the ACLP Bulletin

Increasing Autonomy in Health Care Decision Making for Children and Adolescents
with Developmental Disabilities in the ACLP Bulletin (pg. 28)

Engage with Webinars:

Supporting Children with Autism During Medical Visits and Procedures

Webinar: Behavioral Approaches to Dental Care for Patients with Developmental and Behavioral Disabilities

Webinar: Collaborative Partnership to Optimize Care: The Creation of an Interprofessional Autism Spectrum Disorder Professional Development Program

Webinar: Putting Our Pieces Together: An Inter-Professional Approach to Becoming a Sensory-Friendly Hospital

Webinar: Sensory Overload: Burns and Autism Spectrum Disorder

References:
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Nationwide Children’s Hospital. https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/autism-spectrum-disorder