Dr. Michael Cameron argues that autism support requires more than clinical treatment. Families need stable housing, employment, and mental health resources woven together in what he calls a "medical neighborhood" model that treats the whole system, not just the individual.
Chapters
It's also important that families receive what's referred to as care navigation. So from a system standpoint, ensuring that that family knows what's available to them in terms of supports, because we talk a lot about the social determinants of health and a family's health is, is, is dependent on not only the treatment that a professional can provide, the individual with autism and the family, but also it's connected to other aspects of living, proper housing and employment and mental health supports for the family members as well. We're only as good as our systems at the end of the day. I really see a medical neighborhood model as being essential and a system that really requires more development at this point.