Abstract
Autism is a heterogenous disorder and symptoms present in different ways. There is a variety of available
treatments, however little is known about why specific treatments are chosen. We aimed to explore treatment
prevalence and to examine which demographic and/or autism-specific characteristics predict treatment use. This
study used data from the Netherlands Autism Register, an open longitudinal register.
Data was gathered through yearly online questionnaires completed by (parents of) children with autism (N=1464)
between 2013 and 2019. Findings suggested that most children had received some type of intervention at some
point(s), and about half had received medication. Analysis of the demographic factors revealed that children who
attend special education or have a co-occurring diagnosis receive more treatment. Moreover, age, IQ, sex and
maternal education level were related to treatment choice.
From the autism-specific characteristics only sensory issues were predictive of treatment use; more severe issues
decreased the chance of medication use. Results from this study show potential shortcomings of autism treatment
such as the lack of transdiagnostic treatment options and treatment choice being guided by demographic
characteristics rather than autism-specific characteristics.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 15 Sept 2021 |
| Event | Developmental Psychology Section Annual Conference - Held online Duration: 15 Sept 2021 → 17 Sept 2021 |
Conference
| Conference | Developmental Psychology Section Annual Conference |
|---|---|
| Period | 15/09/21 → 17/09/21 |
Bibliographical note
Note: An abstract of this poster presentation was published in Developmental Psychology Section Annual Conference Abstract Booklet, within a section called 'Oral Presentation Abstracts' p.14.Organising Body: The British Psychological Society
Keywords
- Psychology