Autism, Aging, and Cancer: Rethinking Care Pathways



Cancer can happen to anyone but for autistic people, diagnosis and treatment can come with extra, often invisible barriers. Bright lights, noise, crowds, unfamiliar smells, unexpected touch, shifting schedules, and confusing paperwork can all create sensory and cognitive overload. Add the stress of a life-changing diagnosis, repeated appointments, and the need to build trust with new clinicians, and the result can be delayed care, burnout from self-advocacy, and a treatment experience that is far harder than it needs to be especially for aging autistic adults navigating complex cancer systems.

Together, Dr. Char Goodwin, Dr. Mary Doherty and Melissa Levin will explore what autistic patients say is most challenging and most helpful across the cancer pathway. This is from pre-diagnosis access and screening, to examinations, treatment side effects, communication breakdowns, and the cumulative impact of facing barriers repeatedly over time. Expect concrete strategies for clinicians and support networks, along with system-level recommendations, so the burden doesn’t fall on autistic patients to educate providers while they’re sick. This session is designed for autistic adults, caregivers, healthcare professionals, researchers, and anyone who wants cancer care to be more humane, accessible, and effective for autistic people as they age.

 

Scroll Down to Register & Attend!

 

Want to learn more now? Check out our Doctors Collection

 

 

Presenters

Melissa Levin

Melissa Levin, MSW, LICSW (she/her) is a is a senior social worker at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a programmatic specialist for The Neuro-Inclusive Oncology Care and Empowerment Program. She provides supportive psycho-social oncology services to people who have intellectual and/ or developmental disabilities (IDD) and are facing cancer.

She also works on systems improvements to remove barriers that produce inequitable cancer outcomes. In her prior roles, Melissa worked as a special education school social worker, and as a researcher alongside disability advocates delivering a self-advocacy curriculum to youth with IDD across several schools and community sites in Massachusetts. She is a former Boston Children’s Hospital LEND fellow (leadership education in neuro-developmental and related disabilities)

 

Dr. Mary Doherty

Dr Mary Doherty is an Irish Consultant Anaesthetist and Clinical Associate Professor at the School of Medicine, University College Dublin. She is also an Honorary Associate Professor at the University of Exeter. Diagnosed as autistic over a decade ago, she is parent to two neurodivergent young people.

Mary is founder of Autistic Doctors International, an organisation dedicated to peer support, advocacy, research and training. Her research interests focus on autism and healthcare, including both autistic people accessing healthcare services as well as autistic healthcare providers. She has developed the Autistic SPACE framework to address autistic needs in healthcare and beyond.

 

Dr. Char Goodwin

Dr. Char Goodwin is a Co-Investigator on ton the Autistic Experiences of Breast Cancer project. Char’s research focus is improving cancer care for autistic people. She is autistic and has lived experience of breast cancer and is the lead researcher on this project bringing expertise in both areas.

Her current research focus is on improving cancer care for autistic people and understanding the healthcare barriers that exists for autistic people undergoing cancer diagnosis and treatment. Char has previous experience working in clinical trials and investigating visual perception using fMRI.

 

Moderator

• Douglas Parsons – Training and Resource Manager, Autism Edmonton

 

 

 

Accessing autism resources can be a challenge, but it’s easier when you have partners and allies by your side. Connect with other parents, caregivers, and professionals in the autism community to share information, advice, and support. Together, we can create a more inclusive and supportive world for individuals with autism and their families.