Relationships Between Household Income and Functional Independent Behavior for Children With Autism

Children in lower income households are less likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and diagnosis is often delayed. Lack of or delayed identification of ASD minimizes a child's ability to receive effective early intervention services that support development of functional independence skills. Research has yet to identify relationships between functional independence and household income for children with ASD. A cross-sectional national survey with 231 caregivers of children with autism aged 2-12 years was conducted. Caregivers completed a 90-min survey examining family demographics, intervention services, autism symptom severity, and children's functional behavioral outcomes. Significant differences in functional independence behavior scores were identified for children from the highest and lowest income categories when controlling for autism symptom severity, age of diagnosis, and receipt of intervention services. This study provides preliminary evidence to support the association between income and functional independent behavior for children with ASD.