“The Best Way to Support My Health is to Believe Me”

“The best way to support my health is to believe me.” Dr. Laura Lewis and her research team at the University of Vermont discuss findings from a new study about the healthcare experiences of Autistic adults with chronic health problems.

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Summary

• Most Autistic people suffer from multiple medical problems and have a hard time accessing healthcare. Many have a constellation, or group, of intertwined medical conditions that are related to one another. Most doctors do not have training about this. 
• The majority of Autistic people who participated in Dr. Lewis and her team’s study felt that their healthcare providers did not believe them. This led to patients feeling worse after seeking healthcare. 
• Additional negative healthcare experiences shared by study participants are discussed.
• Neuro-immune means things that are related to both the nervous system (the part of the body that helps us think, move, and feel) and the immune system (the part of the body that helps fight sickness). This is about health problems that affect both systems and are connected to each other.

Further learning:

• “Everything is Connected to Everything: Improving the Healthcare of Autistic & ADHD Adults” Free Resource
• “Everything’s Connected to Everything: Improving the Healthcare of Autistic and ADHD Adults” Webinar

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