Abstract
Many autistic children access some form of early intervention, but little is known about the value for money of different programs. We completed a scoping review of full economic evaluations of early interventions for autistic children and/or their families. We identified nine studies and reviewed their methods and quality. Most studies involved behavioral interventions. Two were trial-based, and the others used various modelling methods. Clinical measures were often used to infer dependency levels and quality-adjusted life-years. No family-based or negative outcomes were included. Authors acknowledged uncertain treatment effects. We conclude that economic evaluations in this field are sparse, methods vary, and quality is sometimes poor. Economic research is needed alongside longer-term clinical trials, and outcome measurement in this population requires further exploration.
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Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contribution of Hannah Buttery (Senior Officer, Research Data Outputs) and Natalie Young (Research Advisor) of La Trobe University, in their support reviewing the search strategy.
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This review was completed as part of a PhD candidature supported by the Australian Government’s Research Training Program.
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KP, AS and TI developed the concepts of this study. KP developed the search strategy with input from the other authors. KP and HJ completed screening and data extraction, with AS as third reviewer when required. KP drafted and finalised this paper with valuable contributions from the other authors, all of whom approved the final manuscript.
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Pye, K., Jackson, H., Iacono, T. et al. Economic Evaluation of Early Interventions for Autistic Children: A Scoping Review. J Autism Dev Disord (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-05938-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-023-05938-3