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Review
. 2022 Apr;22(2):120-125.
doi: 10.1136/practneurol-2020-002856. Epub 2021 Oct 8.

Neurological consultation with an autistic patient

Miriam Cooper  1   2 , Katherine Gale  3 , Kate Langley  4 , Thomas Broughton  2 , Thomas H Massey  2 , Nicola J Hall  5 , Catherine R G Jones  6
Affiliations
Review

Neurological consultation with an autistic patient

Miriam Cooper et al. Pract Neurol. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Autism is a neurodevelopmental condition with a very heterogeneous presentation. Autistic people are more likely to have unmet healthcare needs, making it essential that healthcare professionals are 'autism-aware'. In this article, we provide an overview of how autism presents and use case studies to illustrate how a neurological consultation in an outpatient clinic environment could prove challenging for a autistic person. We suggest how to improve communication with autistic patients in clinic and highlight the importance of a patient-centred and flexible approach.

Keywords: applied; autism; psychiatry; psychology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: MC has spoken about the Cwm Taf Morgannwg Neurodevelopmental Service at conferences hosted by Takeda (formerly Shire) and Flynn Pharma. These talks were not related to the content of this article and MC did not receive personal payment. There are no competing interests for any other authors.