Adults with autism struggle to find medical professionals who understand their needs. And the demand will continue to grow. That's why some in the Central Ohio health care community direct their expertise to helping autistic adults. Nationally the number of adults with autism is expected to increase by nearly 700 percent over the next 15 years. Those numbers trouble parents like Mary Gaunt. She has a 23 year old autistic son. "There seems to be a lack of support for young adults and older teens who are on the autism spectrum," says Gaunt.
Gaunt found help for her son at a new center in Hilliard. "How you been sleeping? Well it's been on and off. Often I wake up too early or in the middle of the night and I take naps sometimes during the day afterwards," says Bryan Gaunt. 23 year old Bryan Gaunt talks to his new doctor at the Center for Autism Services and Transition or CAST in Hilliard. It's part of Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center. CAST is a clinic designed for adults with autism spectrum disorder or ASD. "I feel more comfortable here with the people. For one thing I have a doctor whose a guy helping me which is an improvement." says Gaunt. Dr. Christopher Hanks is medical director of the center. "Our primary goal is to make sure they're getting good medical care. If you look at studies that have been done, people with autism, particularly adults with autism struggle to get general medical care. More likely they get their medical care through an emergency room, or are more likely to report that their needs are not met by their primary care provider, if they have one." says Hanks.
Hanks says it can be harder to communicate with autistic patients. Many dislike face to face interactions. And Hanks says some are anxious about leaving their homes and are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity. CAST currently treats 80 autistic adults. When more doctors are hired, Hanks expects the practice will grow to more than 400 patients within the next several years. "We started out slow on purpose to make sure we were learning and addressing things the right way, and in the last few months we've been able to increase our volume pretty rapidly," says Hanks. Patient Bryan Gaunt says Dr. Hanks is already helping him become more proactive about his health care. "I also feel like I'm improving more since I've come here. And even today, I've learned some suggestions that can help me, like more exercise and stuff like that," says Gaunt. The CAST facility also includes a social worker who guides autistic adults to counseling, job and other available services.