Do I Need to See a Doctor? : An autistic person's guide to understanding and acting on common medical issues

Do I need to See a Doctor? is a practical guide to navigating healthcare for autistic adults. It will help people identify their symptoms and understand when they should be seeking primary care. Although autistic adults currently have worse healthcare outcomes than others, this unique guide should help individuals to start closing that gap.

As autistic doctors, the authors of this book understand both what it is to feel nervous about asking for help, and how important it is that autistic people still seek treatment. They see first-hand how not understanding symptoms or being apprehensive about making appointments can cause autistic patients to allow conditions to develop, and even lead to lower life expectancy. This book has been designed to demystify the process of primary care support for autistic adults, and to start addressing the imbalance in healthcare outcomes. It is based on extensive research, but is written to be as accessible as possible, with straightforward, unambiguous and practical advice for you to implement. Although it is not a diagnostic manual, Do I Need to See a Doctor? is a broad guide to common conditions, and how to understand them. It details when to seek help, how to spot the signs that something needs more urgent attention, and provides advice for navigating the healthcare system so that you have a rough idea of how to report your symptoms and what to expect from your appointment.