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Family Empowerment: Predicting Service Utilization for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often utilize a variety of services. Relatively few studies have examined the relationship between family empowerment and service utilization for this population. The present study investigated the relationship between family empowerment and service utilization in families of children with ASD from the Pacific Northwest. Family empowerment did not predict the use of behavioral services or established related services. However, higher family empowerment was reported for families who reported use of complementary and alternative medicine. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.

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Funding

This research was funded in part by a grant from the Fairway Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (R01 HD059838) awarded to the last author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA

    Patricia K. Zemantic & Hannah Barton

  2. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Evangeline C. Kurtz-Nelson

  3. Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA

    Hannah Barton, Jonathan Safer-Lichtenstein & Laura Lee McIntyre

  4. integrated Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, 985450 Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5450, USA

    Patricia K. Zemantic

Authors
  1. Patricia K. Zemantic
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  2. Evangeline C. Kurtz-Nelson
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  3. Hannah Barton
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  4. Jonathan Safer-Lichtenstein
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  5. Laura Lee McIntyre
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Contributions

This study utilized data from a larger study that was conceptualized and led by LLM. All authors participated in the study design and provided feedback on the manuscript, which was initially drafted by PKZ and ECK-N. Analyses were performed by ECK-N and JS-L.

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Correspondence to Patricia K. Zemantic.

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Zemantic, P.K., Kurtz-Nelson, E.C., Barton, H. et al. Family Empowerment: Predicting Service Utilization for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 52, 4986–4993 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05329-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-05329-6

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