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Medical Education on Autism

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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Historical Background

Research shows that medical practitioners, including family physicians and pediatricians, are often the first healthcare professionals whom families of individuals with a suspected diagnosis of ASD are referred to in order to receive a diagnosis and/or to receive treatment (Self et al. 2015). Nonetheless, families of individuals with ASDs have raised concerns about the diagnostic and treatment processes of ASDs. Families of individuals with ASDs often feel unsupported because of medical practitioners’ lack of knowledge and competency around the diagnosis and treatment of ASDs, misdiagnosis with other disabilities (e.g., attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), as well as multiple referrals (Brookman-Frazee et al. 2012; Glazzard and Overall 2012). Furthermore, research investigating the experiences of medical practitioners providing care for individuals with ASDs have revealed that many providers lack expertise about the diagnosis of, or the identification of,...

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References and Reading

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Golnaz Ghaderi

  2. Department of Psychology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada

    Kelly D. Coons-Harding

Authors
  1. Golnaz Ghaderi
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  2. Kelly D. Coons-Harding
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Golnaz Ghaderi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

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Ghaderi, G., Coons-Harding, K.D. (2018). Medical Education on Autism. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102191-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102191-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6435-8

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