Utilization of early therapeutic supports by autistic preschoolers in Australia: A cross-sectional study following implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme

Abstract

There are many types of support for young autistic children and their families, but service use in this population is not well understood. In this study, primary caregivers of autistic preschoolers were surveyed (n = 95) and a selection were then interviewed (n = 19) to understand how early, therapeutic supports were accessed by families in Australia following the establishment of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This article presents the quantitative data from surveys and interviews. Families usually accessed at least two types of support. The most accessed supports were occupational therapy, speech pathology and psychology, with 43% of the sample accessing some other form of support. Multiple linear regression indicated that children's higher level of support need, living in less remote or less socio-economically disadvantaged areas, and high household income were associated with higher numbers of supports accessed. Services tended to follow an individual, clinic-based model and little use of alternative service delivery was reported. The findings indicate that Australian families are accessing a wider range of support types than before the NDIS and children with more substantial autism-related support needs are likely to access a greater number of types of supports. Socio-economic inequities continue to exist and should be addressed.