Abstract
Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are eligible to receive behavioral health services in Michigan, including those based on the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Demand for these specific services far outpaces the number of qualified professionals in the state (Yingling et al., 2022), thus resulting in delayed access to a much-needed service. The purpose of our survey was twofold. First, we surveyed families throughout Michigan (N = 78) to identify the types of barriers encountered and the extent to which families of autistic individuals experience them when pursuing ABA services. Second, our survey assessed the needs of these families during service delays in an attempt to understand how to best support them during this time. Results indicated that 73% of children spent time on a waitlist, varying in duration from 1 month to over 1 year. Further, most caregivers indicated they were concerned about their children’s behavior while awaiting services and would have been interested in training to help them manage behavioral concerns and teach new skills to their children. We conclude by reviewing recommendations for addressing child and caregiver needs during this time and discussing implications for public policy advocacy initiatives.
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Data are available upon reasonable request.
Notes
Published surveys show that autistic people prefer identity-first language (“autistic person”) to person-first language (“person with autism”; e.g., Lei et al., 2021). Although there is not a definitive consensus on the preferred language (Vivanti, 2020), there is a clear consensus on the least preferred language: “person with autism” (e.g., Botha et al., 2023). Therefore, after careful consideration, we chose to use identity-first language throughout our article.
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Acknowledgements
This study was partially supported by Eastern Michigan University’s 2021 Summer Research Award. We thank the Autism Alliance of Michigan, Colleen Allen, Allison Singer, Jessa Love, Aubry Dodge, and Rebecca Eldridge for their assistance in disseminating this survey. We also thank Angela Staples for her statistical consultation and Ian Santus for his comments on an earlier version of the article.
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Stephens, A.M., Briggs, A.M., Loder, B.H. et al. Delays to Behavioral Therapy in Michigan for Children Diagnosed with Autism: A Summary of Needs Assessment Outcomes to Inform Public Policy Advocacy Initiatives. Behav Analysis Practice (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00896-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-023-00896-9