Focus Area 6: Access to health and mental health services

We want to address the barriers Autistic people and their families continue to face in accessing health and mental health services.

Data continues to show Autistic people experience barriers to accessing adequate health and mental health care, despite Autistic people having an increased rate of co-occurring health and mental health conditions and diagnoses.

The healthcare and mental health needs of Autistic people can often be complex and require a range of integrated services, including health promotion, care and rehabilitation.

Many Autistic people have also experienced issues with their health symptoms being misattributed to their autism due to this limited understanding by staff. Difficulties in finding appropriate medical support that understands autism can often lead to misdiagnosis, delays in treatment or referrals, or emergency mental health interventions.

The experience of attending a hospital emergency department, and the interaction with hospital staff can often exacerbate an already sensitive and highly emotional situation.

In addition, the challenges associated with booking healthcare appointments and the inflexible ways to manage their appointments, including the copious amount of paperwork, limited communication options and overwhelming environments, can create further barriers for Autistic people in accessing the support they need.

The lack of knowledge, understanding, and acceptance of autism among first responders (ambulance staff and police) can also result in a misinterpretation of the communication styles and diversity of Autistic qualities.

Social exclusion can be attributed to poor mental, emotional and physical health outcomes for Autistic people. It can often restrict Autistic individuals’ opportunities and access to programs, support and spaces that may significantly improve their overall health and wellbeing. These challenges are often greatly increased in regional and remote communities.

Access to appropriate health and mental health services is crucial to ensure Autistic people of all ages can receive the right support for them. This includes the provision of both child-friendly and adult-friendly supports.

Without increased understanding and knowledge about autism amongst professionals in the health and mental health fields, the poor wellbeing of Autistic people will continue to be overrepresented in health statistics.

“GPs are often the first port of call so I would really welcome measures to improve their knowledge and acceptance of autism.” — Consultation participant

The Autistic and autism communities highlighted:

• Additional training for health services staff is needed, including Autistic communication and behaviour, sensory needs, and experiences of trauma.
• Greater awareness of the frequent occurrence of co-existing medical conditions for Autistic people.
• The need for greater flexibility in booking and attending appointments and a reduction in the copious amounts of paperwork, which can be overwhelming.
• First responders and emergency services must increase their understanding of Autistic-qualities to avoid misinterpretation of communication styles.

Our commitments:

• Improve the knowledge, understanding and acceptance of autism amongst health practitioners, medical staff and first responders.
• Improve the experiences of Autistic people of all ages navigating and engaging in health and mental health services.
• Improve the accessibility of health and mental health services, especially in regional and remote communities.