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HEALTHCARE
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Research consistently shows that neurodivergent adults face elevated health risks and poorer care outcomes compared to non-neurodivergent peers.
Autistic adults have significantly higher rates of chronic physical health conditions, including gastrointestinal disorders, epilepsy, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune conditions.
Neurodivergent people experience substantially higher rates of anxiety, depression, PTSD, suicidality, and early mortality.
Diagnostic overshadowing is common, with physical symptoms misattributed to autism or ADHD rather than properly investigated.
Communication barriers, sensory-hostile environments, and time-limited appointments reduce access to safe and effective care.
Many clinicians receive little to no formal training in neurodiversity-affirming practice, resulting in misunderstanding, stigma, and preventable harm.
As a result, neurodivergent adults are more likely to delay care, avoid healthcare settings altogether, or experience medical trauma.scription text goes here
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Autistic people have higher rates of unmet healthcare needs and are more vulnerable to chronic conditions compared with the general population, compounding disparities in long-term health outcomes.
Nicolaidis, C., Raymaker, D., McDonald, K., Dern, S., Boisclair, W. C., Ashkenazy, E., & Baggs, A. (2013). Comparison of healthcare experiences in autistic and non-autistic adults: A cross-sectional online survey facilitated by an academic–community partnership. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 28(6), 761–769. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-012-2262-7
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Research identifies multiple barriers to accessing appropriate healthcare for autistic individuals across the lifespan — including inadequate provider training, inaccessible environments, sensory overload in clinical settings, and fragmented services.
Mason, D., Ingham, B., Urbanowicz, A., Michael, C., Birtles, H., Woodbury-Smith, M., … Parr, J. R. (2019). A systematic review of what barriers and facilitators prevent and enable physical healthcare services access for autistic adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(8), 3387–3400. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04049-2
EMPLOYMENT
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Employment and Economic Disparities
Despite high levels of skill, education, and innovation, neurodivergent adults experience some of the highest unemployment and underemployment rates of any disability group.
Autistic adults face unemployment or severe underemployment rates estimated between 50–80%, depending on jurisdiction.
Neurodivergent workers are more likely to experience workplace discrimination, job insecurity, and exclusion from advancement opportunities.
Many workplaces lack effective accommodation processes, relying on informal disclosure or placing the burden on individuals to self-advocate.
Hiring practices often prioritize social performance, eye contact, and behavioural norms unrelated to job performance, systematically excluding neurodivergent candidates.
Employment instability contributes directly to poorer health outcomes, housing insecurity, and reduced access to care.
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Disparities are compounded for neurodivergent people who are also racialized, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, immigrants, or living with multiple disabilities.
Racialized and gender-diverse neurodivergent people are more likely to be misdiagnosed, diagnosed later in life, or denied services altogether.
Structural racism, colonial systems, and gender bias intersect with ableism, further limiting access to healthcare, employment, and justice.
These inequities are reflected in worse health outcomes, higher rates of system involvement, and reduced economic security.
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Autistic adults are more than twice as likely to report contact with police compared with non-autistic adults, largely due to misunderstandings, crisis situations, and lack of reasonable adjustments.
Weiss, J. A., Isaacs, B., Diepstra, H., Wilton, A. S., Brown, H. K., McGarry, C., & Lunsky, Y. (2018). Health concerns and health service utilization in a population cohort of young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(1), 36–44
