Accommodations & Accessibility for Autistic Veterinarians

In the Literature

Pickles K, Houdmont J, Smits F, Hill B. ‘Part of the team as opposed to watching from the outside’: critical incident study of autistic veterinary surgeons’ workdays. Vet Rec. 2025;196(4):e4957. doi:10.1002/vetr.4957

The Research …

Neurodiversity is both a theory that neurologic diversity is a normal area of human variation and a social movement for the equal rights of neurodiverse individuals.^1,2 Neurodiverse conditions are common; an estimated 2.2% of adults are autistic, 6% of adults have ADHD, and ≈14% of those with ADHD are also autistic.^3,4 Although the prevalence of neurodiversity in veterinary medicine is unknown, data suggest autistic clinicians may have poorer mental health scores compared with the field’s average.⁵

This study was designed to identify attributes of a good versus difficult clinical day for autistic clinicians. Participants (n = 15) had a formal diagnosis of autism and no other neurodiverse traits; most were female (80%), had a companion animal focus (53.3%), and had been in practice >9 years (73.3%) but were relatively new (≤5 years) to the diagnosis of autism (86.6%).

Several themes were noted. A difficult day included feeling out of control (eg, feeling rushed, unpredictable schedule changes), stressors in the physical environment (eg, strong odors, persistent barking), role-specific challenges, and self-doubt. A good day included feeling in control (eg, clean and organized environment), having enough time (eg, time for breaks, time to focus on a task to completion), and a sense of achievement. Social interactions with colleagues had both positive and negative impacts.

… The Takeaways

Key pearls to put into practice:

• Neurodiverse conditions are underdiagnosed, particularly in women and those assigned female at birth.⁶ Formal diagnosis can be challenging and financially inaccessible.⁷ Each autistic person has unique needs, and those diagnosed later in life may not be aware of what accommodations might be helpful in a specific environment. Thus, rather than relying solely on the diagnosis and disclosure of formal accommodation requests, organizational shifts toward accessibility, curiosity, and collaborative dialogue are a more robust methodology for ensuring support of neurodiverse staff.

• Autistic individuals are often impacted differently by sensory input than neurotypical individuals and can have reduced awareness of pain, hunger, and thirst. Navigating the dynamic sensory environment of the clinic and being in sensory overstimulating environments can result in overwhelm and increased fatigue. Providing in-clinic sensory safe spaces with intentional design and policies (eg, dimmable and nonflickering lights, reduced scents [eg, perfume], reduced sounds) and normalizing use of tools that help modulate or support sensory needs (eg, noise-canceling headphones, earbuds that filter background noise) can be beneficial for clients and staff and are achievable in every clinic.

• Social bandwidth should also be a consideration. The many unique and unpredictable social interactions in the clinic may contribute to burnout of autistic clinicians. In addition, dialogue, adjustment periods, and/or appointment decisions (eg, drop-offs, changes in appointment times) made by others without the clinician’s consent are likely to deeply impact autistic individuals. Respecting and normalizing social, verbal, and physical rest breaks, as well as supporting sustainable social energy expenditure via pacing and clear dialogue, can be critical.