Providing Inpatient Medical Care to Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder, affecting an estimated 1 in 40 children. Children with ASD have high rates of medical comorbidity and often experience high levels of distress during medical admissions, increasing the risk of agitation. Pediatric hospitalists receive minimal formal training on the inpatient care of children with ASD. In this article, we review strategies that pediatric hospitalists can use to optimize the care of children with ASD during inpatient admissions. These include gathering an ASD-related history early in the admission to understand the child’s baseline core ASD symptoms, including social and communication ability, sensory needs, and restricted or repetitive behaviors. This information can be used to tailor the hospitalist’s approach in each of these 3 domains. We conclude by reviewing procedure-related considerations, an approach to managing agitation, and quality improvement interventions.