Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-dh8gc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T01:44:14.959Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Parent and Child Factors Predicting Early Intervention Choices of Australian Parents of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 October 2019

Sarah Carlon*
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
Mark Carter
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
Jennifer Stephenson
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
Naomi Sweller
Affiliation:
Macquarie University, Australia
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Extant research addressing implicit factors related to intervention decisions made by parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is limited and findings have been inconsistent. In the present study, 74 parents of preschoolers with ASD were surveyed regarding intervention use. The possible relationships between implicit parent factors (education level, age, causal beliefs about ASD, complementary and alternative medicine [CAM] use, and family income) and child factors (time since diagnosis, and perceived severity of ASD), and the number and type of interventions used were examined. Consistent with previous research, only a small number of significant relationships were found, including that family income, parent use of CAM, mother’s education, parent belief in an unknown aetiology of ASD, and time since child’s diagnosis were all related to the number of interventions used. Some specific findings of previous research were not replicated in the present study (e.g., neither beliefs in environmental aetiology of ASD nor parent education levels were related to the use of specific CAM interventions), indicating that factors affecting decision-making may not be consistent across samples. Nevertheless, future research including an expanded range of possible implicit factors with more diverse samples may provide a more accurate predictive model of parent decision-making.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2019 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

This manuscript was accepted under the Editorship of Umesh Sharma.

References

Akshoomoff, N., Stahmer, A. C., Corsello, C., & Mahrer, N. E. (2010). What happens next? Follow-up from the children’s toddler school program. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 12, 245253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Australian Government Department of Families , Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. (2012). Helping children with autism. Retrieved 1 October 2012 from http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/our-responsibilities/disability-and-carers/program-services/for-people-with-disability/helping-children-with-autism%20-%207h Google Scholar
Australian Government Department of Social Services. (2019). Helping Children with Autism (HCWA) and Better Start for Children with Disability (Better Start). Retrieved 18 May 2019 from https://www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers-programs-services-for-people-with-disability/helping-children-with-autism-hcwa-and-better-start-for-children-with-disability-better-start Google Scholar
Bowker, A., D’Angelo, N. M., Hicks, R., & Wells, K. (2011). Treatments for autism: Parental choices and perceptions of change. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41, 13731382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-1164-y CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carlon, S., Carter, M., & Stephenson, J. (2013). A review of declared factors identified by parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in making intervention decisions. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 7, 369381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2012.10.009 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carlon, S., Carter, M., & Stephenson, J. (2015). Decision-making regarding early intervention by parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 27, 285305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-014-9415-z CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carlon, S., Stephenson, J., & Carter, M. (2014). Parent reports of treatments and interventions used with children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD): A review of the literature. Australasian Journal of Special Education, 38, 6390. https://doi.org/10.1017/jse.2014.4 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carter, M., Roberts, J., Williams, K., Evans, D., Parmenter, T., Silove, N., … Warren, A. (2011). Interventions used with an Australian sample of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 5, 10331041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2010.11.009 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Christon, L. M., Mackintosh, V. H., & Myers, B. J. (2010). Use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatments by parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4, 249259. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2009.09.013 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dale, E., Jahoda, A., & Knott, F. (2006). Mothers’ attributions following their child’s diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder: Exploring links with maternal levels of stress, depression and expectations about their child’s future. Autism, 10, 463479. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361306066600 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dardennes, R. M., Al Anbar, N. N., Prado-Netto, A., Kaye, K., Contejean, Y., & Al Anbar, N. N. (2011). Treating the cause of illness rather than the symptoms: Parental causal beliefs and treatment choices in autism spectrum disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32, 11371146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2011.01.010 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Denne, L. D., Hastings, R. P., & Hughes, C. J. (2018). Common approaches to intervention for the support and education of children with autism in the UK: An internet-based parent survey. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 64, 105112. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2016.1275439 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunst, C. J., & Trivette, C. M. (2009). Capacity-building family-systems intervention practices. Journal of Family Social Work, 12, 119143. https://doi.org/10.1080/10522150802713322 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Erba, H. W. (2000). An exploration of alternative treatment use in young children with autistic spectrum disorders (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global database. (UMI no. 9993303).Google Scholar
Furnham, A., & Buck, C. (2003). A comparison of lay-beliefs about autism and obsessive-compulsive disorder. International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 49, 287307. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020764003494006 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Goin-Kochel, R. P., Myers, B. J., & Mackintosh, V. H. (2007). Parental reports on the use of treatments and therapies for children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 1, 195209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2006.08.006 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Green, V. A., Pituch, K. A., Itchon, J., Choi, A., O’Reilly, M., & Sigafoos, J. (2006). Internet survey of treatments used by parents of children with autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 27, 7084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2004.12.002 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hall, S. E., & Riccio, C. A. (2012). Complementary and alternative treatment use for autism spectrum disorders. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 18, 159163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2012.03.004 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hanson, E., Kalish, L. A., Bunce, E., Curtis, C., McDaniel, S., Ware, J., & Petry, J. (2007). Use of complementary and alternative medicine among children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 628636. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0192-0 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harrington, J. W., Patrick, P. A., Edwards, K. S., & Brand, D. A. (2006). Parental beliefs about autism: Implications for the treating physician. Autism, 10, 452462. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361306066609 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harrington, J. W., Rosen, L., Garnecho, A., & Patrick, P. A. (2006). Parental perceptions and use of complementary and alternative medicine practices for children with autistic spectrum disorders in private practice. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 27(Suppl. 2), S156S161. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004703-200604002-00014 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hebert, E. B., & Koulouglioti, C. (2010). Parental beliefs about cause and course of their child’s autism and outcomes of their beliefs: A review of the literature. Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, 33, 149163. https://doi.org/10.3109/01460862.2010.498331 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Irvin, D. W., McBee, M., Boyd, B. A., Hume, K., & Odom, S. L. (2012). Child and family factors associated with the use of services for preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6, 565572. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2011.07.018 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Konstantareas, M., Homatidis, S., & Cesaroni, L. (1995). Brief report: Variables related to parental choice to medicate their autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 443452. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02179378 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levy, S. E., Frasso, R., Colantonio, S., Reed, H., Stein, G., Barg, F. K., … Fiks, A. G. (2016). Shared decision making and treatment decisions for young children with autism spectrum disorder. Academic Pediatrics, 16, 571578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.04.007 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mercer, L., Creighton, S., Holden, J. J. A., & Lewis, M. E. S. (2006). Parental perspectives on the causes of an autism spectrum disorder in their children. Journal of Genetic Counseling, 15, 4150. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10897-005-9002-7 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mire, S. S., Raff, N. S., Brewton, C. M., & Goin-Kochel, R. P. (2015). Age-related trends in treatment use for children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 15–16, 2941. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2015.03.001 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
National Autism Center. (2015). Findings and conclusions: National standards project, phase 2: Addressing the need for evidence-based practice guidelines for autism spectrum disorder. Randolph, MA: Author.Google Scholar
National Disability Insurance Agency. (2019). Help for children under 7. Retrieved 18 May 2019 from https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/how-ndis-works/help-children-under-7 Google Scholar
Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Collins, K. M. T., & Frels, R. K. (2013). Using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory to frame quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research. International Journal of Multiple Research Approaches, 7, 28. https://doi.org/10.5172/mra.2013.7.1.2 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patten, E., Baranek, G. T., Watson, L. R., & Schultz, B. (2013). Child and family characteristics influencing intervention choices in autism spectrum disorders. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 28, 138146. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357612468028 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salomone, E., Beranová, S., Bonnet-Brilhault, F., Briciet Lauritsen, M., Budisteanu, M., Buitelaar, J., … Charman, T. (2016). Use of early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder across Europe. Autism, 20, 233249. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361315577218 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salomone, E., Charman, T., McConachie, H., & Warreyn, P. (2015). Prevalence and correlates of use of complementary and alternative medicine in children with autism spectrum disorder in Europe. European Journal of Pediatrics, 174, 12771285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-015-2531-7 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Siller, M., Reyes, N., Hotez, E., Hutman, T., & Sigman, M. (2014). Longitudinal change in the use of services in autism spectrum disorder: Understanding the role of child characteristics, family demographics, and parent cognitions. Autism, 18, 433446. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361313476766 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thomas, K. C., Morrissey, J. P., & McLaurin, C. (2007). Use of autism-related services by families and children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 818829. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0208-9 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wong, H. H. L., & Smith, R. G. (2006). Patterns of complementary and alternative medical therapy use in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 901909. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0131-0 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed