Table 4.
Top considerations to promote better health of autistic adults selected by carers and professionals.
| Answer | Carer | Professional |
|---|---|---|
| n (%) | n (%) | |
| Adjustments that make health care services more user-friendly for autistic adults | 252 (57.0) | 54 (47.8) |
| Improve primary care provider's awareness of health risks in autistic adults | 161 (36.4) | 48 (42.5) |
| Early warning signs of illness or poor health in autistic adults | 144 (32.6) | 33 (29.2) |
| Develop a person's “health profile” part of an “autism passport” | 134 (30.3) | 35 (31.0) |
| Regular wellness check-ups in autistic adults | 131 (29.6) | 22 (19.5) |
| Health risks education programs for autistic adults, their carers and partners | 114 (25.8) | 46 (40.7) |
| Health promotion approaches for autistic adults | 81 (18.3) | 32 (28.3) |
| Ways to help autistic adults follow health care recommendations | 78 (17.6) | 11 (9.7) |
| I do not think that I can make a choice | 40 (9.0) | 10 (8.8) |
Values expressed as number of responders and frequencies (in parenthesis); 433 (98%) carers and 107 (95%) professionals selected at least one option, of whom 59 carers and 13 professionals selected one option, 16 carers and two professionals selected two options, and 358 carers and 92 professionals selected three options. The questions were the following: Carer: “Thinking of the reasons for hospital contacts in autistic adults, select 3 options below that you think might be top considerations for research to promote better health and prevent hospital contacts in adults with autism”; Professional: “Select 3 options below that you think might be top considerations for research to promote better health and prevent hospital contacts in adults on the autism spectrum.”