The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of support for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the needs of supporters. A questionnaire was conducted for the participants of a workshop; 342 people participated in this study. About 62％ of the respondents were frequently involved in helping people with ASD, and 65.9％ strongly felt the need to acquire specialized knowledge. Supporters wanted to know about a wide range of topics, including nursing and employment, social issues, and medical issues. More than 40 percent of respondents answered “very little” or “none” when asked about the availability of specialists who could provide accurate advice on difficult cases of intervention or coordinating support systems for other occupations. An analysis using a cross-tabulation survey showed that dentists answered that they had “few” or “no” specialists who provided significant advice compared to doctors, psychologists, and teachers (p<0.05). People with ASD need appropriate support from various occupations at various life stages, and it is necessary to expand medical-dental cooperation.
