World Autism Day is on April 2. We look into the Autism Association of Western Australia’s training program helping dentists and health professionals understand Autism.
How well do you and your practice team understand Autism? World Autism Day is a good reminder to ensure you (and your colleagues) increase your knowledge to provide safe, accessible and neuro-affirming health care for patients with Autism.
Health and Dental Autism Training Program
The Autism Association of Western Australia’s Health and Dental Autism Training Program, launched in 2021 and was the first online training program for health and dental professionals in Australia.
The free program includes five online training modules, including:
- Understanding Autism
- Strategies
- Inpatient Care
- Outpatient Care
- Discharging a Patient
The program aims to:
- Increase understanding and capacity of the dental sector to effectively support people with Autism
- Reduce barriers for Autistic people in accessing appropriate dental care
- Improve oral healthcare for Autistic people and
- Support inclusive practices.
Grace Lazuardi, Director of Policy, Planning and Development at the Autism Association of Western Australia, said: “We know that many Autistic people can face barriers when it comes to accessing health care and we wanted to address the disparity in oral health between Autistic and non-Autistic individuals.
“Since the launch of the Autism Association’s online training program for health and dental professionals, hundreds of professionals in the sector, across Australia and internationally, have been empowered to deliver more inclusive, compassionate, and effective health care for Autistic individuals. “Through undertaking this training, oral health professionals can gain the necessary knowledge to understand the diversity of Autism so they can make reasonable adjustments to provide better experiences and ultimately improve the oral health of Autistic individuals.
“We are delighted with the success of the program and the positive impact it has had on both professionals who have participated in the training and the individuals with Autism accessing their services. “Through our continued health advocacy work, we seek to continue to improve the knowledge and skills of health and oral health professionals and ensure all individuals with Autism have improved access to healthcare services and better experiences when receiving health care.”
To date, over 800 professionals have registered to do the course – and the program was recognised as a finalist in the Excellence in Innovation category at the WA Disability Support Awards in 2021.
To register for the program, please visit the Autism Association of Western Australia’s website, www.autism.org.au/health-dental-autism-training-program/
