"My Autism is Linked with Everything": at the Crossroads of Autism and Diabetes.
Ritwika Vinayagam, Christopher Tanner, David Harley and 2 others
PMID 37480434WHAT IT FOUND
Autistic adults with diabetes described prioritising their mental health and avoiding autistic burnout over strict diabetes self-management.
They often masked their autism from clinicians, leading to advice that did not fit their sensory or executive functioning needs.
Key findings
01Participants described autistic burnout as a higher priority than diabetes management, often accepting lower diabetes self-care to protect their mental health and daily functioning.
02Many participants masked their autism around health professionals, withholding information about how autism affected their self-management, which resulted in care that did not meet their needs.
03Executive functioning difficulties impacted remembering and planning diabetes tasks, while sensory sensitivities affected diet and appointment attendance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Very small sample size (n=8) with no data saturation. Participants were predominantly Caucasian, diagnosed in adulthood, and had no intellectual disability, limiting generalisability. Diagnoses were self-reported and not confirmed. Recruitment occurred via social media, potentially biasing towards those with higher digital literacy or specific community connections.
Declared interests
Funded by The University of Queensland. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these experiences as a failure of patient motivation or compliance. The study suggests that standard diabetes care models may inadvertently cause harm by ignoring autistic needs, leading patients to choose mental health preservation over physical health management.