A Scoping Review of Targeted Interventions and Training to Facilitate Medical Encounters for School-Aged Patients with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Hamama et al. (2021) looked at 23 studies about making doctor visits easier for school-aged kids with autism.

They mapped every paper that tested data tools, staff training, or evidence-based tricks used in clinics, hospitals, or dental offices.

No single magic bullet emerged. Instead, three building blocks kept showing up: structured data sheets, brief staff lessons, and visual or video supports.

The team did not pool scores; they simply charted what has been tried so clinicians can pick and mix.

Lam et al. (2025) narrowed the lens to dental visits. Their meta-analysis of 16 trials found tiny, shaky gains when social stories, PECS, or apps were used. Hamama et al. (2021) covers the same tools but across all medical settings; together the papers say "use visuals, but collect better data."

Rutherford et al. (2020) scanned 34 studies on home and community visual supports. Their findings sit inside L et al.'s bigger medical-visit tent, confirming that picture schedules or cue cards need caregiver buy-in wherever they are used.

Lerner et al. (2022) surveyed 701 U.S. providers and found medical staff know the least about autism strategies. This real-world gap matches L et al.'s call for targeted training, turning the scoping review into a to-do list for hospital education teams.

You can lift tools from this map today. Slip a one-page data sheet into the patient chart, run a 10-minute in-service for nurses, or hand the resident a social-story template. Small, low-cost moves like these cut wait-time meltdowns and build referral trust.