There are a variety of health disparities that members of the autistic community face. These health disparities may make it more difficult to access quality services that meet the needs of autistic populations. Autistic adults have higher rates of chronic health conditions and psychiatric conditions (Wier, 2022), yet they report worse quality healthcare experiences than non-autistic adults. Research shows that autistic people commonly view that their providers have limited knowledge on autism and working with autistic people (McLean et al. 2024). Many organizational components of the healthcare environment, such as length of appointments and access to consistent and comprehensive care, affected the health outcomes of autistic people and were barriers to accessing quality care (McLean et al., 2024). In addition to that, members of disadvantaged populations, such as those from BIPOC communities, LGBTQ+ communities, and those of low socioeconomic status, are at greater risk for experiencing healthcare disparities (Bishop-Fitzpatrick & Hind, 2017; Hall et al., 2020; Wallich et al., 2023).

Some interventions to improve the healthcare outcomes of autistic people that researchers have suggested include lengthening appointment times, providing training for providers, and adding online options for appointment management (McLean et al., 2024). In addition, interventions can be put in place to make the healthcare environment more accessible and affirming to autistic people, including adding sensory rooms and providing funding for accessible transportation.