Development of PREPARE for Autistic Adults: an Adult Autism Training for Resident Physicians Designed with Autistic Adults and Family Members

One barrier to meeting autistic adults' health care needs is the dearth of physicians with autism training. We developed an adult autism training for residents, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists, in internal medicine or family medicine. We used formative evaluation to design the training with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults, who were paid consultants. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two standardized patient scenarios. We conducted focus groups and interviews with 23 residents and 14 faculty who educate residents. We described the curriculum, reviewed the content in one module, and obtained feedback on maximizing feasibility and scalability. Using semantic-level inductive rapid qualitative analysis we identified three themes and two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to increase flexibility to accommodate resident and faculty schedules across programs. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase buy-in from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized to multiple populations. Results highlighted ways to modify our training to maximize implementability across different residency programs. Next steps include pilot testing of feasibility, acceptability and effects on resident self-efficacy, attitudes/beliefs, and knowledge. In the long term, we expect this will yield more adult care physicians prepared to meet autistic adults' needs. Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.Community brief Why was this program developed? Maximizing autistic adults' physical and mental health is important to autistic adults and their family members. However, too few physicians currently are willing and able to meet autistic adults' health care needs. Other researchers have found that disability trainings can improve physicians' self-efficacy in caring for people with disabilities, knowledge about disabilities and evidence-based practices, and willingness to provide care for people with disabilities. Our research team worked with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults to develop a training program for resident physicians, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists in internal medicine or family medicine. What does the program do? The training aims to improve resident physicians' knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitudes and beliefs about caring for autistic adults. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two mock clinical scenarios to be portrayed by autistic actors. The training is comprised of six modules: Contextual and conceptual frameworks, Patient-centered care, Clinical assessment, Team-based practice, Care over the lifespan, and Legal obligations. How did the researchers evaluate the new program? We conducted interviews and focus groups with 23 resident physicians and 14 faculty from 11 different resident physician training institutions. We identified changes that would maximize the chance that the training could be used in different residency programs in the future. The interviewer described the training and shared the clinical assessment module with participants. Then, the interviewer asked questions such as "How easy or difficult would it be to incorporate this into your residency program?" and "What would need to change to meet the needs of residents in your program?" What were the early findings? We identified three themes, one with two subthemes. First, "flexibility is key" described ways to accommodate resident and faculty schedules. Second, "time is the most valuable asset" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, "buy-in is necessary" described ways to increase interest in delivering or participating in the training from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, "we don't talk much about neurodivergence" and "this content applies to all patients," describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized across populations. What were the weaknesses of this project? Participants' feedback was based only on the overview provided by the interviewer and the clinical assessment module, which they reviewed. However, we felt previewing one module was sufficient to provide feedback about the feasibility of incorporating this training in their residency program. What are the next steps? Next, we will test the entire training with a small group of residents at one training institution. We will examine outcomes such as feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the intervention. We will also examine whether residents complete all aspects of the training. This will help us further refine the training before doing a larger-scale trial. How will this study help autistic adults now or in the future? In the long term, we expect this study will increase the number of adult care physicians who are willing and able to provide care for autistic adults. Ultimately, we hope that this will improve autistic adults' access to high-quality care and, therefore, their health.