The Asperger Syndrome for Physicians

Book excerpt: The number of diagnosed autistic individuals has increased significantly in recent years. At the same time, autistic individuals have a reduced health-related quality of life as well as a high mortality risk, as a recent study shows. Nevertheless, autistic people rarely come as patients in medical practices. This is mainly due to invisible barriers that make access to medical care for autistic people at least difficult - if not impossible. To make these barriers visible and to show ways to reduce them is a central goal of this book. In addition, the history, diagnosis and treatment of autistic individuals requires a specific approach. Therefore, the causes and effects of many diseases in Asperger autistics are presented.