Abstract

Persons with autism (ASD) experience disparities in healthcare service delivery and utilization. Autism is a developmental disability, which occurs as a result of atypical development that alters typical development and affects the child’s communication, social interaction, behavior and activities. It is a lifelong disorder affecting people of all race and background, and requires support throughout the developmental stages. Despite the fact that the number of children with ASD is on the rise, there is limited awareness and knowledge regarding ASD among healthcare providers including nurses and midwives, especially in developing countries. Thus, these healthcare providers may be facing challenges in caring for persons with ASD particularly children and pregnant women. Hence, nurses and midwives need to understand the unique challenges of caring for individuals with ASD. Therefore, this paper highlights the characteristics of children and pregnant women having autism, birth experiences, nursing care guidelines and challenges faced in resource limited nations. Published articles on autism spectrum disorder, caring for children with autism and women on the spectrum and challenges faced were reviewed. Literature revealed that due to the nature of the disorder persons with autism may have difficulty communicating their needs, reporting their symptoms and may not understand health education or whatever is being said during care. In addition, pregnant women having autism have complained that nurses do not pay attention to their worries; their wishes were ignored, and they were not involved in communication and education during the birth process. Thus, nurses and midwives need to be aware of the fact that this special group of children and expectant mothers experience exaggerated symptoms and hence, have to be patient enough to render individualized care that is very supportive and gentle. 

Keywords

autism, nurses, midwives, pregnancy and birth experiences, children, challenges, resource limited nations