Supporting neurodivergence: Insights for future physicians
Annika Hanson, a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) based in Edmonton, brings extensive experience working with neurodivergent individuals. In a previous interview, Annika shared valuable insights on neurodiversity, emphasizing how many neurodivergent individuals face environments that are not inclusive or conducive to their success—especially within healthcare, where significant barriers persist. Recognizing these challenges and creating more inclusive spaces to support our diverse populations will soon be the responsibility of medical students as we embark on our careers.
I had the privilege of speaking with Annika again and gained her perspective on what we, as future physicians, should be mindful of when working with neurodivergent populations. Below are three key pieces of advice from Annika:
You will serve neurodivergent clients: Within healthcare spaces when you think of neurodiversity, often the first thing that comes to mind is developmental pediatrics or psychiatry. But like any population, neurodivergent people access all health care domains. No matter the specialization you are working towards, you will most definitely have neurodivergent patients regularly. Working towards inclusion is for everyone.
You don’t need to be the expert – just ask!: Accommodations and accessibility don’t have to be daunting. When you have a neurodivergent patient, they are the expert in their own experience. If you are not sure what the appropriate accommodations are, just ask. The AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit https://autismandhealth.org/ is a great resource with information for healthcare providers and patients to use as a starting point. Work with your patients to determine what works best for them. If you work in a larger health setting, speech language pathologists and occupational therapists in your workplace are also likely more than happy to help you develop strategies for increasing the inclusivity of your practice.
Talk with your clients (not about them): Too often, people with communication disorders/disabilities are left out of conversations about themselves. Just because someone may not be able to communicate verbally, it does not mean that they are not able to understand what is said to them. And just because someone may have difficulty understanding everything that is said to them, it does not mean they don’t need to be included. If your patient comes to an appointment with a caregiver for support, don’t communicate with that caregiver as if the patient is not in the room.
Bonus for pediatrics – Don’t wait and see: As a member of a multidisciplinary autism assessment team that sees older children and teens, I very often meet families who had early concerns about their child’s development, but have been told by different health care providers or educators in their life to not worry, and to just ‘wait and see’ how their child develops. Parent often put off pursuing a diagnosis even years later because they were dismissed once. These same children are typically later diagnosed with anxiety and depression. A proper diagnosis is so important, not only for allowing a family to access services and the correct interventions, but also for an individual’s mental health and development of a positive identity. In my practice and experience, I have found that it is much more common for a parent’s gut feeling about autism or developmental delays to be right than wrong. It is always better to refer for further assessment early on.