Autistic people tell us they often feel misunderstood by health professionals. Many people have difficulty understanding and talking about their own feelings and emotions and can find it difficult to understand these in others. 

Problems with mental health services

Autistic people diagnosed later in life often have an extensive history of mental health issues and experience of mental health services. It’s not uncommon for people to have repeatedly experienced failed interventions, inappropriate medications and therapies. This often leads to a general frustration and mistrust of services.

Often their underlying autism has been missed, misdiagnosed and mistreated repeatedly over many years. This can be traumatic and exacerbate existing mental health issues. It can also result in difficulty understanding and accepting the eventual autism diagnosis. 

Training and skills for mental health professionals

It is therefore vital for mental health professionals to have a thorough understanding of autism; the many different presentations, how it may look different with co-occurring conditions and how to adapt approaches and treatments. 

Having professional curiosity, knowing what to look for, how to adapt communication and ask questions that might indicate someone is autistic are fundamental skills for health professionals. This will ensure autistic people in crisis are appropriately treated and avoid undiagnosed autistic people with mental health conditions being missed.

Find out more about autism training for health professionals by clicking on the links below.