Autism in Nursing and Healthcare
1. Edition July 2025
240 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Understand the healthcare needs of autistic patients with this essential volume
Autism is a condition that directly affects as many as 2 million people in the United Kingdom, a figure which does not include family members and other loved ones. As most nurses, healthcare assistants, and other healthcare professionals will engage with autistic patients or service users at numerous points in their careers, the Health and Care Act 2022 requires healthcare professionals to be given autism training appropriate to their role. There is an urgent need for a publication which directly addresses this new training requirement and fulfills the learning needs of workers across the healthcare sector and beyond.
Autism in Nursing and Healthcare offers a solid grounding in the issues relevant to the care and support of autistic people. Viewing autism as a lifelong condition, this book offers chapters covering the full lifespan of the autistic person, with information on the role of nurses in both community and hospital settings. Appropriate for both formal and informal carers, it's an indispensable resource for anyone with direct or indirect experience of autism.
* Chapters on welfare benefits, sexuality, and discrimination against autistic people
* Detailed discussion of the 2009 Autism Act and related strategies
* Practical intervention strategies throughout
Autism in Nursing and Healthcare is ideal for pre-registration nursing students from all four nursing branches, those in post-registration professional development sessions, Nursing Associates and Healthcare Assistants, as well as those who work with autistic people (either as patients or colleagues) looking to better understand autism.
Acknowledgements xiv
CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1
CHAPTER 2 What Is Autism? 9
CHAPTER 3 A History of Autism 17
CHAPTER 4 Autism in Girls and Women 27
CHAPTER 5 Diagnostic Issues 35
CHAPTER 6 Autism and Communication 46
CHAPTER 7 Autism and Sensory Issues 56
CHAPTER 8 Autistic Children (0-11) 67
CHAPTER 9 Autistic Adolescents (11-20) 75
CHAPTER 10 Autistic Adults 84
CHAPTER 11 Mental Health Issues and Autism 93
CHAPTER 12 Physical Health Issues and Autism 103
CHAPTER 13 Person-Centred
CHAPTER 14 Reasonable Adjustments 123
CHAPTER 15 Nursing Interventions for Independent Adults 131
CHAPTER 16 Nursing Interventions for Informal Carers 139
CHAPTER 17 Autism, Spirituality and Sexuality 149
CHAPTER 18 The Autistic Colleague 157
CHAPTER 19 Autism and Welfare Benefits 165
CHAPTER 20 Autism Discrimination 176
CHAPTER 21 The Autism Act 2009 and Autism Strategies 187
CHAPTER 22 Decision-Making
CHAPTER 23 Autism: An Anarchy Too Far? 205
Conclusion 210
Key Points 210
Reflective Questions 211
References 211
Glossary 213
Index 218
