ABSTRACT
With the growing number of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) reaching the age of consent, health-care providers must be prepared to bridge gaps in their knowledge of ASD. This is especially true for clinicians who may have to determine if a person with ASD has the capacity to engage in end-of-life decision making, complete advance directives, or act as a surrogate decision maker for someone else. This paper provides an overview of the unique characteristics of autism as related to the communication, cognitive processing, and the capability to participate in advance care planning and, when acting as a surrogate decision maker, to consider the values and preferences of others. In addition, we examine the roles and responsibilities of clinician as facilitator of shared health-care decision making communication with the individual who has autism. Consideration is given to determining capacity, planning for atypical responses, the impact or lack of influence of the framing effect, and strategies for presenting information. Finally, we will offer health-care providers information and examples for adapting their existing end-of-life decision-making tools and conversation guides to meet the communication needs of persons with ASD.
Subject(s)
Advance Care Planning/standards , Autism Spectrum Disorder/psychology , Communication , Decision Making , Advance Directives/psychology , Affective Symptoms/psychology , Cognition , Empathy , Humans , Interoception , Mental Competency/psychology , Social Stigma , Third-Party ConsentABSTRACT
We present an instrument to allow individuals with autism spectrum disorder, their families and/or their caregivers to prepare emergency department staff for the care needs of this patient population ahead of acute presentation.
Subject(s)
Ambulatory Care/methods , Autism Spectrum Disorder/therapy , Emergency Service, Hospital , Ambulatory Care/psychology , Autism Spectrum Disorder/diagnosis , Autism Spectrum Disorder/psychology , Caregivers/psychology , HumansABSTRACT
With the rising prevalence of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there has been an increase in the acute presentation of these individuals to the general health care system. Emergency medical services and emergency department personnel commonly address the health care needs of patients with ASD at times of crisis. Unfortunately, there is little education provided to front-line emergency medical technicians, paramedics and emergency nurses on the characteristics of ASD and how these characteristics can create challenges for individuals with ASD and their health care providers in the pre-hospital and emergency department settings. This paper describes the development of educational materials on ASD and the results of training of emergency medical services and emergency department personnel.
