Autistic children may have increased healthcare requirements as well as a range of communication difficulties and needs. However, there are reports in the literature that their healthcare experiences are not always satisfactory. Using qualitative research methodology and content analysis, this study aimed to investigate parents' experiences of the ways in which healthcare professionals communicate and interact with autistic children and identifies the different communicative styles that parents consider to be successful or unsuccessful. Parents also describe these styles in terms of the impact that they have on children and also on parents themselves. These findings are discussed in relation to the existing literature around communication in healthcare, with recommendations for how parental experiences can be used to inform future healthcare practice for autistic children.