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Variation in Socio-Economic Burden for Caring of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Oman: Caregiver Perspectives

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Abstract

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate whether caregiver’s variations in socioeconomic status (SES) has direct bearing on challenges of nurturing children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Oman. A cadre of caregivers (n = 150) from two types of SES (low-income and middle-high income) were compared based on four domains: (1) accessing and perception of remedial services, (2) utilization and perception of psychiatric services, (3) constraints for being a caregiver of children with ASD and (4) financial expenses of taking care of children with ASD. There is little indication that any particular SES fare well on these domains. Factors to mitigate such predicaments are therefore imperative in order to improve quality of life for caregivers among children with ASD.

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Acknowledgments

This project was supported by funds from Sultan Qaboos University, His Majesty Strategic Research Grant Fund, grant number SR/MED/FMCO/11/01.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 35, 123, Al-Khoudh, Sultanate of Oman

    Yahya M. Al-Farsi, Mohamed Al-Shafaee, Omar Al-Farsi & Samiya Al-Fahdi

  2. Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman

    Mostafa I. Waly

  3. Department of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman

    Marwan M. Al-Sharbati & Samir Al-Adawi

  4. Department of Genetics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman

    Allal Ouhtit

  5. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman

    Maha Al-Khaduri

  6. Nutrition Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt

    Mostafa I. Waly

Authors
  1. Yahya M. Al-Farsi
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  2. Mostafa I. Waly
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  3. Marwan M. Al-Sharbati
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  4. Mohamed Al-Shafaee
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  5. Omar Al-Farsi
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  6. Samiya Al-Fahdi
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  7. Allal Ouhtit
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  8. Maha Al-Khaduri
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  9. Samir Al-Adawi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yahya M. Al-Farsi.

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Al-Farsi, Y.M., Waly, M.I., Al-Sharbati, M.M. et al. Variation in Socio-Economic Burden for Caring of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Oman: Caregiver Perspectives. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 1214–1221 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1667-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1667-9

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