The availability of services for children with autism spectrum disorder in a Saudi population

Babatin, Areej M.; Alzahrani, Bashair S.; Jan, Fadi M.; Alkarimi, Eman H.; Jan, Mohammed M.

doi:10.17712/nsj.2016.3.20150597

Cited by 21 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…In Ahmadi's study, parents' unawareness of accessing the required services was documented [26]. Studies signified accessibility problems, such as limitedservice providers, long waiting times, and the lack of transportation [27][28][29] deficiencies in service access, including referral problems for essential services in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia [30].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of the Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Healthcare Providers on the Challenges of Using Rehabilitation Services in Iran

Aarabi

Abdi

Khanjani

2021

IRJ

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Objectives: One of the most essential needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is using rehabilitation services. However, these services are associated with numerous challenges. The present study aimed to identify the perceptions of the parents of children with ASD and rehabilitation service providers about the challenges of using rehabilitation services in Iran. Methods: This was a qualitative study. In total, 27 participants were selected from the parents of children with ASD and rehabilitation service providers to these children, based on purposive sampling method; we considered maximum variation and sampling continued until data saturation. The necessary data were collected by semi-structured and in-depth interviews. The interviews lasted from July to December 2020 and MAXQDA was used for data analysis. Results: The challenges of children with ASD in accessing and using rehabilitation services were identified and categorized into 6 main classes, as follows: the lack of a systematic support system; the lack of commitment to observing professional ethics; neglecting the structure and policy of rehabilitation; the lack of comprehensive ASD diagnostic and rehabilitation protocols; inadequate knowledge and attitude, and the lack of feasible access to services. Discussion: Policymakers, service providers, and managers must be aware of the challenges of rehabilitation services for ASD; subsequently, they are expected to pay special attention to this issue. This study provided evidence for the above-mentioned groups for accessing and using rehabilitation services among ASD. Besides, the obtained data could help to improve the services they receive and their living conditions; ultimately, they help improve their quality of life.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of the Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Healthcare Providers on the Challenges of Using Rehabilitation Services in Iran

Aarabi

Abdi

Khanjani

2021

IRJ

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“…2 Early recognition is needed for early implementation of multidisciplinary treatment, which in turn improves the outcome. 3 , 4 Enhanced public awareness is needed to prevent delays in the provision of such services. 5 Improved awareness would also help in minimizing possible associated social stigma.…”

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confidence: 99%

Public awareness of autism spectrum disorder

Alsehemi

Abousaadah

Sairafi

et al. 2017

NSJ

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Objective:Examine the awareness of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in our community which would help in early recognition and improved support of affected families.Methods:A focused 20-item questionnaire was designed to survey the public awareness and knowledge of ASD. Personal interviews were conducted during an ASD awareness day, which was organized in a major shopping mall on February 20, 2015 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.Results:A total of 259 individuals participated in the study with 47% being <30 years of age and 57% being females. Most participants (60%) were married, educated (68% university level), and employed (54%). When asked if they knew what autism is, 88% responded positively. However, when asked to rate their degree of knowledge, 41% felt that it is weak. Females and those older than 30 years of age were more likely to feel knowledgeable (p=0.04 for females and p=0.013 for those >30 years of age). Females were more likely to think that autistic children can be employed in the future (p=0.008), whereas males were more likely to think that autism is similar to mental retardation (p=0.005).Conclusions:The public awareness of ASD needs improvement. Areas for targeted education were identified to help improve the quality of life of autistic children and their families.

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“…The findings of Płatos and Pisula in 2019 showed that despite the growing number of adolescents and young adults with ASD, there is little information about the necessary services and the existing barriers. In their study, the barriers that parents stated included difficulty in accessing services, not being eligible to receive services, difficult access to information about services, and expensive costs of services [24]. Another study reported that people with ASD had problems with the use of services, lack of regular service delivery, insufficient insurance coverage, and lack of parental involvement in childcare.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Challenges of Accessing and Using Rehabilitation Services in People With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Aarabi

Abdi

Khanjani

2021

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Objective: One of the essential needs of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families is the rehabilitation services to improve patients’ performance in social interactions and communication. However, access and use of these services pose many challenges for patients with ASD and service providers. This study systematically reviews the challenges of access and use of rehabilitation services for patients with ASD. Materials & Methods: This is a systematic review of the articles published from 2010 to 2020 in Persian and English on the challenges of accessing and using rehabilitation services for patients with ASD. The search was conducted in online databases of Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest, Science Direct, SID, and MagIran using the keywords of “challenge”, “utilization”, “accessibility”, “rehabilitation”, “healthcare”, and “autism”. The initial search yielded 142 articles. After checking their titles, 102 articles were removed because they were irrelevant or duplicates, and 40 remained. Finally, 14 studies were selected for the review after checking their abstracts and considering the inclusion criteria. Results: In general, due to the nature of ASD, patients and their families have many challenges in accessing and using rehabilitation services. Their essential challenges were high costs of services, insufficient insurance coverage, lack of parental involvement in healthcare, scarcity of some essential services, lack of access to specialists in ASD, no government support, long waiting times, no transportation, lack of information of parents about how to access the required services, heterogeneity of services provided in different centers, inefficiency in diagnosing and screening people with ASD, lack of rehabilitation monitoring, incoordination between autism centers, challenges related to the structure and maintenance of services, and low manpower of service providers. Conclusion: People with ASD face several challenges in accessing and using rehabilitation services. Our study results can be helpful for the effective use of rehabilitation services by these patients, improving their living conditions, and ultimately their quality of life. Recognizing these challenges can pave the way for policymakers, intervention managers, and planners to take more effective steps for providing rehabilitation services to patients with ASD as their human rights. The authorities should pay more attention to existing resources, adopt and implement the necessary programs, solve the identified challenges, and reform the administrative structures of autism rehabilitation.

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The availability of services for children with autism spectrum disorder in a Saudi population

Cited by 21 publications

References 12 publications

Perceptions of the Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Healthcare Providers on the Challenges of Using Rehabilitation Services in Iran

Perceptions of the Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Healthcare Providers on the Challenges of Using Rehabilitation Services in Iran

Public awareness of autism spectrum disorder

Challenges of Accessing and Using Rehabilitation Services in People With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

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