10 Rules for Ensuring Autistic People and People with Learning Disabilities Can’t Access Health Care… and maybe what to do about it

Ten Rules for Ensuring Autistic People and People with Learning Disabilities Can’t Access Healthcare…and maybe what to do about it aims to inspire a serious conversation about the difficulties facing people with learning disabilities and those on the autism spectrum when they need to access healthcare. It is a sad fact that people with learning disabilities will die, on average, between 13 and 17 years younger than others, and this is in no small part down to the challenges of accessing the same care and treatment the rest of us take for granted. Positive change will come, however, by improving practitioners’ understanding of the people they treat and helping them to communicate more effectively with them and their carers and families. Each ‘rule’ in this booklet speaks powerfully with the ‘voice’ of the individual on the receiving end of healthcare practice. Together, the ten rules challenge our existing practice and will help you to offer assessment, treatment and support that can really make a difference.