Integrating Neurodiversity and Disability Rights into Primary Care Practices

As an interdisciplinary team of autistic and non-autistic researchers and future physicians, we are committed to supporting healthcare providers in implementing neurodiversity-oriented healthcare. In the current chapter, we define neurodiversity-oriented healthcare as a non-stigmatizing healthcare approach that accepts neurodiversity as difference, rather than pathology, and accommodates the varied needs and preferences of neurodivergent patients. In the following chapter, we open with a case study about Ari: a patient who exemplifies the health disparities experienced by neurodivergent individuals and the need for primary care providers to take an active role in addressing these disparities. In subsequent sections, we provide background and context on the burgeoning neurodiversity movement, review barriers to neurodiversity-oriented care, highlight promising practices and approaches, and provide actionable recommendations to primary care providers. This chapter will support primary care providers in providing care that is responsive to the diverse needs, experiences, and preferences of neurodiverse individuals across the lifespan.