ABSTRACT
For people who are more used to the terms ‘with autism’ or ‘ASD’, it is important to understand that the majority of autistics prefer to refer to themselves as autistic or neurodiverse. There is a distinction between support programs that are designed to enhance an autistic’s abilities or manage comorbid conditions, to enable the individual to thrive, and support programs that are designed to ‘iron out’ autistic characteristics and tendencies, such as stimming or a focus on a topic of interest. This chapter helps healthcare professionals who assist autistic clients for three reasons. First, they will be able to recommend effective supports after reading the research cited and rating. Second, they will be able to understand some of the limitations of the support that they are recommending. Third, they will be able to explain to their autistic clients some of the consequences that they might experience when using the support.
