A blind spot in mental healthcare? Psychotherapists lack education and expertise for the support of adults on the autism spectrum.
Silke Lipinski, Katharina Boegl, Elisabeth S Blanke and 2 others
PMID 34825580WHAT IT FOUND
Psychotherapists reported low education and knowledge about autism, with many holding misconceptions.
While most were open to treating autistic adults if trained, higher knowledge predicted greater willingness. Social concerns predicted less openness in experienced therapists, but not in those without prior autism treatment experience.
Key findings
01Most participants reported very little knowledge or autism-specific training, with only a small fraction reporting high education levels.
02Higher individual knowledge about autism significantly predicted greater openness to treating autistic adults.
03Therapists who perceived social impairments as interfering with treatment were less open to treating autistic adults.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The sample was a convenience sample, so motivated therapists may be overrepresented, potentially skewing results positively. The survey was conducted only in Germany, limiting generalizability to other healthcare systems. Knowledge and competency were largely self-reported, and the objective knowledge measure was adapted from a pediatric tool with limited established reliability for adult autism. The gender distribution was heavily skewed toward female participants (75.1%), which may not reflect the broader profession's demographics in all contexts.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The research was funded by dissertation and degree finalization scholarships from the Irene Foundation and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that therapists who are open to treating autistic adults are competent to do so. The study found that while many were willing, their actual knowledge was low and they held significant misconceptions. Willingness did not equate to preparedness or expertise.