Post High School Service Use for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Date

02/07/11

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine

Abstract

Objectives: To produce nationally representative population estimates of rates of service use among young adults with an autism spectrum disorder during their first few years after leaving high school and to examine correlates of use. Design : Nationally representative telephone survey from April 2007 to February 2008. Setting: United States. Participants: Parents and guardians of young adults with autism spectrum disorders aged 19 to 23 years. Main Exposure: Autism spectrum disorder. Main Outcome Measures: Use of the following services in the prior 2 years or since leaving high school: mental health services, medical evaluation and assessment, speech therapy, and case management. Results: Rates of service use ranged from 9.1% for speech therapy to 41.9% for case management; 39.1% of youths with an autism spectrum disorder represented by the survey received no services. The adjusted odds of no services were higher among African American participants and those with low incomes. The adjusted odds of case management were lower among youths with high functional skills and those with low incomes.

Description

Keywords

Autism spectrum disorders, Neurology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry

Citation

Copyright 2011 Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Recommended citation: Shattuck, Paul T., Mary Wagner, Sarah Narendorf, Paul Sterzing, and Melissa Hensley. "Post–high school service use among young adults with an autism spectrum disorder." Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine 165, no. 2 (2011): 141-146.. DOI: 10.1001/archpediatrics.2010.279. URL: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/384252. Reproduced in accordance with licensing terms and with the author’s permission.