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Relationship Status Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Population-Based Study

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Abstract

Despite speculation about an 80% divorce rate among parents of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), very little empirical and no epidemiological research has addressed the issue of separation and divorce among this population. Data for this study was taken from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health, a population-based, cross-sectional survey. A total of 77,911 parent interviews were completed on children aged 3–17 years, of which 913 reported an ASD diagnosis. After controlling for relevant covariates, results from multivariate analyses revealed no evidence to suggest that children with ASD are at an increased risk for living in a household not comprised of their two biological or adoptive parents compared to children without ASD in the United States.

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Acknowledgments

This research was not supported by any grants. Portions of this paper were presented as a presentation at the International Meeting for Autism Research, Philadelphia, PA, May 21, 2010. We would like to thank Rebecca Landa, Ph.D., CCC-SLP for her support and contributions to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 3901 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21211, USA

    Brian H. Freedman & Luther G. Kalb

  2. Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Benjamin Zablotsky

  3. Department of Mental Health and Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Elizabeth A. Stuart

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  1. Brian H. Freedman
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  2. Luther G. Kalb
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  3. Benjamin Zablotsky
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  4. Elizabeth A. Stuart
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Correspondence to Brian H. Freedman.

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Freedman, B.H., Kalb, L.G., Zablotsky, B. et al. Relationship Status Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Population-Based Study. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 539–548 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1269-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1269-y

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