Abstract
We examined factors contributing to initial appointment attendance, alignment between parents’ pre-visit and clinicians’ diagnostic impressions, and family commitment to follow-ups at an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) specialty clinic. Sample sizes were n = 6558 (initial), n = 1430 (alignment), and n = 1353 (follow-up). Parents completed surveys and clinicians provided their ASD diagnostic impressions. When children were not receiving intervention, families were less likely to keep their initial appointment. Families residing long distances and having older children were less likely to keep their initial and follow-up appointments. African American families were less likely to keep their initial appointment and expressed initial doubts with providers about the diagnosis. Findings suggest that some children are not getting diagnostic clarity or accessing timely services.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the patients of Kennedy Krieger Institute’s Center for Autism and Related Disorders for agreeing to contribute de-identified data for the purposes of advancing research and science.
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All authors participated in conceiving the study, interpreting the data, and drafting the manuscript. VS and LK performed the statistical analysis. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Azad, G.F., Singh, V., Kalb, L. et al. Child and Family Characteristics that Predict Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialty Clinic Appointment Attendance and Alignment with Providers. J Autism Dev Disord 49, 3060–3072 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04027-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-019-04027-8