From awareness to action: Facilitators and advocacy in healthcare by autistic adults.

Only 15 participants were included, and the sample was limited in race and ethnicity, with 11 White participants, so the themes may not represent all autistic adults. The sample was nearly entirely autistic adults without an intellectual disability and many had graduate degrees, so it says little about adults with higher support needs. Recruitment used autism and self-advocacy channels, so participants may already be more comfortable advocating than autistic adults in general. Data came from three interviews within a six-month period, so the study cannot show how self-advocacy or barriers change over time. All interviews were over Zoom, so the findings may not reflect people who would prefer phone or in-person interviews.

The project was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Autism Intervention Research Network on Physical Health grant UT2MC39440, with the Maternal and Child Health Bureau named as funder. The authors stated that all had material input and that the claims were their jointly held opinions; no company or other conflict was named.

Do not conclude that provider training, plain language, or sensory accommodations improve healthcare access. The study asked 15 autistic adults about experiences and wants; it did not test these actions or measure access outcomes.