Prevalence and Correlates of Educational Intervention Utilization Among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence and correlates of educational intervention utilization among U.S. preschool aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prior to recent policy changes. The analysis was based on a nationally representative longitudinal survey of children receiving special education services during the 2003-2004 school year. All children with parent or teacher identified ASD over a 3-year study period were analyzed. Outcomes included utilization of speech therapy, occupational therapy, behavior therapy, and mental health services by service sector. The analysis revealed low rates of behavioral therapy and mental health services. Parents reported that the overwhelming majority of services were received inside school only. This study identified gaps in the provision of services for young children with ASD.

‘If I was a different ethnicity, would she treat me the same?’: Latino parents’ experiences obtaining autism services

“…In the US, children with autism 3 years of age and older receive most services through the public school system (Bilaver, Cushing, and Cutler 2016), which is ridden with documented disparities in allocation of funding for children of color (Harstad et al 2013; Bruce and Venkatesh 2014). Autism is a unique diagnostic category in the US for which White children are overrepresented and racial and ethnic minority children from low-income families are underrepresented (CDC 2014; Mandell et al 2009).…”

Parent-Reported Severity and Health/Educational Services Use Among US Children with Autism: Results from a National Survey

“…The use of parent-reported severity as a marker, while common, 5,20,23 has certain benefits and drawbacks. As previously noted, parent-reported severity may be a better proxy for child and family burden than for actual symptom severity.…”

“…We identified patterns of school-based and non-school-based therapy utilization, as well as specialty provider visits among CSHCN with ASD by parent-reported severity levels. Given the results of Bilaver and colleagues’ study, 20 we expected CSHCN with ASD would receive more treatments that were school-based than non-school-based and that there would generally be low rates of behavioral intervention across severity levels. We also predicted that therapy utilization and provider visits would vary by ASD severity.…”

“…The other study that examined specific ASD treatment types did distinguish treatment settings, but did not account for ASD severity in most analyses. Bilaver, Cushing, and Cutler’s 20 study was the first to detail educational service receipt among US children with ASD. The authors assessed rates of educational services (defined as behavioral therapy, speech or language therapy, occupational therapy, and mental health services) individually and by their location of receipt (school or elsewhere).…”

“…Overall, children with ASD were more likely to receive any amount of services at school rather than outside of school. 20 The study only scrutinized the role of severity in that it found that children with severe ASD were more likely to receive any services than children with less severe ASD. However, it did not examine how severity impacted services in the educational versus medical setting.…”