Whether you work in a hospital or a physician's office, you may find yourself caring for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). By preparing to meet the unique needs of each child, you can ensure a productive and less stressful visit. The purpose of this toolkit is to provide a guide to strategies that you and your practice can use to help children with ASD more easily complete routine medical procedures and blood draws while reducing the stress felt by your patients and their parents. Although completing phlebotomy with children with ASD is the main focus of these materials, the information and techniques presented here will apply to other aspects of a clinic visit (e.g., measuring vital signs, physical exams, developmental assessments) and may be helpful with persons of any age or developmental disability.
Download the full content of the toolkit in a printable pdf.
These materials are the product of on-going activities of the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network, a funded program of Autism Speaks. It is supported by cooperative agreement UA3 MC 11054 through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Research Program to the Massachusetts General Hospital. Website hosting, design, and maintenance provided by the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center.