Health care transition for autistic adolescents and young adults: A pilot rural and urban comparison survey study.
E Zhang, Makenna Snyder, Wafaa Alduraidi and 6 others
PMID 39673373WHAT IT FOUND
Rural and urban autistic teens reported similar health care transition experiences.
Both groups felt unprepared for adult care, and few had discussed the transition with their doctors. Location did not change these outcomes.
Key findings
01There were no significant differences in health care transition status, ease, or preparedness between rural and urban participants.
02Only 22.2% of participants reported that their doctor had discussed the health care transition with them.
03Participants who completed the survey with or by a parent were nearly seven times more likely to indicate they would not make future medical decisions independently.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study used purposive sampling with low response rates, which may limit how well the results represent the broader autistic population. The sample size was small and considered a pilot study, so it may not capture the full diversity of experiences across the autism spectrum. Many participants completed the survey with or by a parent, which risks proxy bias where parents project their own views rather than the patient's perspective. The survey was only available in English and lacked formal readability testing, potentially excluding non-English speakers or those with comprehension challenges. The advisory board did not include autistic adolescents, which may have influenced the relevance of the questions for younger participants.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by grants from the NIH and non-U.S. government sources.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume rural autistic patients face worse health care transition outcomes than urban patients. This study found no significant differences in transition status, ease, or preparedness between the two groups. The lack of transition planning appears to be a widespread issue for autistic young adults regardless of geographic location.