Understanding healthcare professionals’ experiences supporting Autistic people in perinatal care: A qualitative study

PROBLEM: Autistic individuals face disproportionately poor outcomes during the perinatal period. BACKGROUND: Lived experience accounts highlight that challenges in interactions with healthcare professionals can reduce birth satisfaction and contribute to traumatic experiences, revealing significant gaps in current perinatal care for this population; yet few studies have explored the experiences of healthcare workers providing this care in Australia. Understanding clinicians' perspectives is essential to inform targeted training, improve care practices, and promote better outcomes for Autistic people during pregnancy and early parenthood. AIM: This study explored, through qualitative analysis, the experiences of Australian perinatal healthcare clinicians providing care for Autistic individuals, during pregnancy and early parenthood. METHODS: Reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on interview and focus group data of 13 perinatal professionals from diverse roles within perinatal healthcare. FINDINGS: Three key themes were created, highlighting the need for targeted training and systemic changes, alongside evidence that professionals often relied on personal experience when formal training was lacking. DISCUSSION: These findings are consistent with international research on perinatal care for Autistic people, but this study is the first to directly examine the perspectives of Australian clinicians, providing unique insights into local practice and challenges that can be leveraged to make systemic change. CONCLUSION: Despite systemic and cultural barriers, Australian perinatal healthcare professionals demonstrate strong commitment to providing individualized, person-centred care for Autistic individuals during pregnancy and early parenthood.