Brief report: the medical care of adults with autism spectrum disorders: identifying the needs.

Bruder et al. (2012) asked 346 Connecticut primary-care doctors about treating adults with autism. They used a short survey to learn what care gaps doctors see and how ready they feel.

The doctors reported that adults with autism often miss needed care. Most also said they had little or no training on autism after medical school.

Two clear themes came back. First, adults with autism have unmet medical needs. Second, the doctors feel under-trained to meet those needs.

The survey did not give exact numbers, but the pattern was strong: physicians want help and patients are going without.

Cox (2012) wrote a narrative review the same year and reached the same big picture: adults with autism are "system orphans." The review adds that people without intellectual disability are the most overlooked.

Morris et al. (2019) later scanned 27 studies and found the same barriers Beth saw: limited knowledge, little training, and communication problems. The 2019 paper widens the lens beyond doctors to all health staff.

Ghanouni et al. (2021) interviewed adults and families and still found persistent barriers nine years later. Their qualitative detail shows the problem is stuck at the system level, not just in clinic rooms.

If you serve teens or adults with autism, expect primary-care visits to be rocky. Doctors may not know how to adapt exams, talk with sensory-sensitive patients, or spot co-occurring health issues. You can bridge the gap: send a brief health-accommodation sheet ahead of appointments, teach your client to use a pain scale or visual script, and offer to join the first visit. Small moves like these turn the physician’s “I feel unprepared” into “I know who to call for help.”