Improving Care for Adults with Autism: A Novel Training Program

Researchers at Ohio State University, in partnership with autistic adults and their families, have developed a training program aimed at enhancing the care provided to adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The program, called Promoting Residents' Excellence in Patient-centered cARE (PREPARE) for Autistic Adults, focuses on equipping resident physicians with the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver high-quality, patient-centered care to adults with autism. A formative evaluation of the program's feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness was conducted, and the results have informed content and format revisions.

Key Takeaways:

• The PREPARE for Autistic Adults training program is a novel initiative aimed at improving care for adults with autism, developed through partnerships with autistic adults and their families.
• The program includes six pre-recorded lectures, six facilitator-led case studies, and two standardized patient encounters, which were completed by 14 residents at a large academic medical center in the Midwestern U.S. with a median completion rate of 76.9%.
• Participants rated the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the training highly, with a mean score of 4.5 out of 5 for each component.
• Qualitative themes identified during the evaluation included flexibility facilitating feasibility, high-value experiences increasing acceptability, practicalities affecting participation, and high clinical practice relevance enhancing appropriateness.
• The training was revised based on participant feedback, with clarifications and additions made to content, modifications to standardized patient encounter logistics, and the inclusion of optional components for residency programs.

Statistics:

• 14 residents participated in the 8-week virtual training, with a median completion rate of 76.9% of training components.
• Participants rated the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the training with a mean score of 4.5 out of 5, indicating high levels of satisfaction.
• The training revised based on participant feedback includes clarifications and additions to content, modifications to standardized patient encounter logistics, and the inclusion of optional components for residency programs.

Sources:

• Formative Evaluation of Prepare for Autistic Adults: an Adult Autism Training for Resident Physicians Designed With Autistic Adults and Family Members. Autism In Adulthood, 2025.
• United States Department of Defense
• NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
• Autism In Adulthood (Mary Ann Liebert, Inc, 140 Huguenot Street, 3RD Fl, New Rochelle, NY 10801, USA)
• NewsRx LLC