preparing doctosr support autistic individuals maura sullivan

EPISODE 73
Preparing Future Doctors and Medical staff
to Support Autistic Individuals:
A Discussion with Maura Sullivan

Play the Episode…

Show Notes

Accessing support for healthcare and navigating medical and health related services is one of the greatest stressors reported by parents, family members, and autistic people themselves, Future physicians and nurses receive very little, if any training about the best ways to support autistic individuals and their families in healthcare settings. In many cases, the information they receive it is out of date, or based on misunderstandings of the behavior of autistic people, especially under stressful circumstances, and the reactions of parents and family members, trying to do the best in helping their autistic family member. Maura Sullivan, as both a parent and professional, understands such challenges firsthand. In response, she has developed innovative programs for future physicians and healthcare professionals to provide accurate information about autism and neurodivergent conditions in some of the leading medical and nursing schools in the US, with the goal of supporting medical and nursing students to be effective and compassionate providers of care.

Visit The Arc of Mass website
Learn more about Operation House Call Program

Featuring

maura sullivan headshot

MAURA SULLIVAN

Maura Sullivan is the Director of Government Affairs and Health Policy for The Arc of Massachusetts. She has developed and teaches in the Operation House Call program, that trains medical students and other health professionals on how to provide the best care for people with autism and other intellectual and neurodevelopmental disabilities. The program has grown to reach over 1,000 students each year in all the medical schools in Massachusetts.

…and Continue the Discussion

Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.

1) Maura’s lived experience and training has made her uniquely qualified to address, needs and shortcomings in the provisioner of medically related services for autistic individuals and their families. What are some of the challenges that she shares that she has faced with her own children, as well as in her knowledge of the provision of medical services.

2)  The unique training model of Operation House Call goes well beyond providing information in a didactic format about autism to medical and nursing students. What additional components of this training model strikes you are significant and sustainable in the training of medical professionals?

3) As a family, member, professional, or autistic person, what have been the greatest challenges you have faced, or have observed in providing services to autistic people and their families. If you have received care or services that you believe, have been particularly respectful, effective, and informed, share some examples. What are the takeaways from those circumstances that you believe should be infused in the training of future medical professionals.?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Music

Matt Savage, courtesy of Savage Records

Matt Savage is an autistic jazz musician, composer, and bandleader. Matt has collaborated with jazz greats like Chick Corea, the Ellington All Stars, Chaka Khan, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Arturo O’Farrill, John Pizzarelli, Joshua Redman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi. Donny McCaslin, and more. He has recorded more than a dozen records and graciously contributes the music for Uniquely Human.

Production and Sound Design

ELEVATEDSTUDIO

Uniquely Human: The Podcast is produced, engineered, and edited by Elevated Studio in Denver, Colorado. Owned and operated by co-host Dave Finch, Elevated Studio produces digital media assets and content strategies for the electronics, entertainment, and lifestyle industries.