Autism in the Primary Care Setting

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents some interesting challenges in the primary care setting. While it is not expected that patients with possible ASD would be officially diagnosed by non-psychiatric physicians, primary care physicians do need to know how to recognize warning signs and to be able to refer patients to appropriate mental health resources when concerns are noted. This is important for adult patients as ASD is often not diagnosed until adulthood, especially because many patients on the spectrum are hard to identify. In addition, patients with ASD will often require medications for anxiety or behavioral management, and these requests are often made in the primary care setting, especially in locations where psychiatric resources are scarce. However, what primary care settings in general need to know about ASD does not just involve diagnosis or treatment of symptoms, but is the management of their unique needs while providing medical care. The difference in coping mechanisms, anxiety levels, pain tolerance, social skills, and sensory issues can complicate how the patient and primary care team interact with each other. This can result in decreased quality of care for the patients and/or disruption of the medical office and workflow. This chapter will address these concerns and provides advice on management.