Characterizing service receipt among families of young autistic children from low-resourced communities

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Public Health
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Early intervention services are crucial for young autistic children (3-5 years), offering long-term developmental and societal benefits.
• Families from low-resourced communities encounter significant barriers in accessing necessary services for their autistic children.
• Understanding service receipt and unmet needs is vital for targeted interventions in underserved populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize current service receipt among young autistic children from low-resourced communities.
• To identify unmet service needs and barriers to access within this population.
• To inform future research and practice for equitable service provision.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 52 parents of 3-5-year-old autistic children from low-resourced communities.
• The survey collected data on services received and unmet needs.
• Descriptive statistics were used to analyze service receipt patterns and satisfaction.

Main Results:

• Children received an average of 8.84 services, with health-related services (pediatric care, insurance, dental) being most common.
• Most parents (66%) were satisfied with services, particularly health services.
• Key unmet needs included speech therapy, developmental pediatric care, and recreational services. Barriers included lack of knowledge and not seeking services.

Conclusions:

• While health services show high satisfaction, significant gaps exist in crucial areas like speech therapy for autistic children in low-resourced settings.
• Addressing barriers such as lack of awareness is essential for improving service access.
• Interventions should prioritize unmet needs like speech therapy and developmental pediatric care to enhance outcomes for these families.