Autistic People in Dental and Medical Clinics: Challenges and Solutions

Description:

With 1 in 44 people now being diagnosed as autistic, there is a view that clinical environments should be “autistic friendly”. However, despite this expectation, medical and dental students are rarely taught how they can make their future clinical workplaces comfortable for autistic patients. Similarly, allied health professional, such as occupational therapists and psychologists, are also not taught this information. Due to this lack of knowledge, each day countless autistics and their families are exposed to potentially stressful clinical situations that can jeopardise the delivery of effective treatment. To help mitigate this situation, this book will give university students as well as established healthcare professionals an understanding of how they can assist autistic patients in clinical settings.

This book is more than just providing strategies that aspiring and established healthcare professionals can use to make their clinical workplaces more accommodating for autistics and their families. It will also present a synopsis of the literature about the challenges and experiences that autistic patients have had in dental and medical settings. Such information can provide the reader with a greater understanding about what it is like to be autistic and receive medical and/or dental treatment. This synopsis will also illustrate the current gaps in our knowledge about this topic.

About This Book

Undergoing medical and dental examinations and treatment can be a daunting experience for autistics. Combining the perspectives of autistic patients, their parents, and medical professionals, Autistic People in Dental and Medical Clinics: Challenges and Solutions is a groundbreaking book that sheds light on the experiences and needs of autistic patients in medical and dental clinics. It highlights the barriers that exist in these settings, such as sensory sensitivities, communication difficulties, and a lack of understanding about the autism spectrum by healthcare providers. It also outlines strategies for improving the experiences of autistic patients in medical and dental clinics. Whether you are autistic, a medical professional, or a caregiver, this book is a must-read for anyone looking to improve the healthcare experiences of autistic participants.

Table of contents :

About This Book
Choice of Terminology
References
Contents
About the Author
List of Abbreviations
List of Figures
List of Tables
1 Introduction
1.1 Autistics in Healthcare
1.2 Search Procedures for Locating Suitable Literature
1.3 Limitations of This Study
1.3.1 No Examination of the Mental Health System
1.3.2 Date Limitations on the Articles Included
1.3.3 Only Accessing Studies from PubMed
1.3.4 Restricting the Search Terms to Only the Article’s Title
1.4 Benefits of This Study
1.4.1 Publication of the Study’s Dataset
1.4.2 Using PubMed
1.5 Audience for This Book
1.6 Benefits of This Book
1.7 Summary of Upcoming Chapters
1.7.1 Chapter 2—Autistics in Medical Settings
1.7.2 Chapter 3—Autistics in Dental Clinics
1.7.3 Chapter 4—Final Comments
References
2 Autistics in Medical Settings
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Research Questions About Autistics in Healthcare
2.2.1 What Experiences Have Autistics Had in Medical Clinics?
2.2.2 What Experiences Have Doctors Had with Treating Autistics?
2.2.3 What Experiences Have Parents Had with Their Autistic Child Receiving Medical Care?
2.2.4 What Barriers Prevent Autistics from Receiving Medical Care?
2.3 Limitations of the Current Research
2.3.1 Experiences of Autistics in Medical Clinics
2.3.2 Experiences Doctors Have Had with Treating Autistics
2.3.3 Parental Experiences of Their Autistic Child Receiving Medical Care
2.3.4 Barriers That Prevent Autistics from Receiving Medical Care
2.4 Strategies to Assist Autistics in Medical Settings
2.4.1 Explaining the Medical Procedure Before Its Commencement
2.4.2 Removing Sensory Sensitivities from the Clinical Environment
2.4.3 Giving Autistic Patients a Form That They Can Use to Explain Their Healthcare Needs
2.4.4 Educating Medical Students About Autism
2.5 Conclusion
References
3 Autistics in Dental Clinics
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Autistics in Dental Clinics
3.2.1 What Experiences Have Autistics Had in Dental Clinics?
3.2.2 What Experiences Have Dentists Had with Treating Autistics?
3.2.3 What Experiences Have Parents Had with Their Autistic Child Receiving Dental Care?
3.2.4 What Barriers Prevent Autistics from Receiving Dental Care?
3.3 Limitations of the Current Research
3.3.1 Experiences Autistics Have Had in Dental Clinics
3.3.2 Experiences Dentists Have Had with Treating Autistics
3.3.3 Experiences Parents Have Had with Their Autistic Child Receiving Dental Care
3.3.4 Barriers that Prevent Autistics from Receiving Dental Care
3.4 Strategies to Assist Autistics in Dental Settings
3.4.1 Explaining the Dental Procedure Before It Commences
3.4.2 Giving Autistic Patients the Opportunity to Become Familiar with Dental Instruments
3.4.3 Giving Autistic Patients Visual Instructions About Dental Procedures
3.4.4 Giving Autistic Patients and/or Their Parents a Clinic Satisfaction Survey
3.4.5 Removing Sensory Sensitivities from the Dental Environment
3.4.6 Giving Autistic Patients a Form for Them to Explain Their Dental Needs
3.4.7 Educating Dental Students About Autism
3.4.8 Using Information and Communication Technologies
3.5 Conclusion
References
4 Final Comments
References
Appendices
Appendix 1.1: Summary of Studies About the Health Status of Autistic Adults
References
Appendix 1.2: Evaluation Form for Studies Selected for Examination
Appendix 1.3: Dataset
Appendix 2.1: Results of Studies Examined by Mason and Colleagues (2019)
References
Appendix 2.2: Healthcare Satisfaction Survey
Appendix 2.3: My Healthcare Needs