Health care must be made more accessible to consumers on the autism spectrum. Disparities in health care significantly affect the lives of people with developmental and other disabilities. Barriers to obtaining health care include lack of insurance coverage, limited availability of some therapies and assistive devices, and difficulty understanding and navigating complex service delivery systems. Health care reform efforts should focus on increasing the number of people with disabilities covered by health insurance and broadening the service options available to people with disabilities.

Some health care providers do not have sufficient familiarity with the needs of our population. They may fail to recognize and treat a serious medical condition because they mistakenly assume its symptoms to be part of autism, or they may provide unnecessary treatments for nonexistent ailments based on myths about autism. Mandating courses on autism and other developmental disabilities in the continuing education requirements for health care providers can improve awareness of our needs. Professional licensing boards should take prompt action against unethical providers who exploit clients by marketing products and treatments that lack any valid scientific basis.

Many therapies and products for Autistic children and adults are helpful and should be made more widely available, such as physical therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and augmentative and assistive communication technology. However, ASAN opposes the use of behavioral programs that focus on normalization rather than teaching useful skills. One of the guiding principles underlying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is respect for the right of children with disabilities to preserve their identities. Autistic children should not have to grow up constantly being told that their natural behaviors are wrong and that they cannot be accepted as they are.