Journeys towards accessing an autism diagnosis and associated support: A survey of families of autistic children in Ecuador.

Lay abstract: There has been much research about the experiences of families of autistic children as they navigate the process of accessing a diagnosis and associated support. However, most of this work has been conducted in Europe, the United States, and Australia. In this study, we examined the experiences of 767 families in Ecuador via an in-depth survey. Of the families we surveyed, 651 had children whose journeys resulted in them receiving a formal autism diagnosis. Most families realized that their children might have developmental differences when they were between the ages of 6 and 48 months, after which they tended to seek support from a professional fairly quickly (i.e. within 6 months). Most families consulted with several different professionals before they accessed a diagnosis for their children, with children tending to receive a diagnosis before the age of 48 months. Families often reported negative emotions around their children's diagnostic and post-diagnostic journeys, which were commonly related to the lack of information and services available to them. We hope that through gaining a greater understanding of the experiences of families of autistic children in Ecuador, these findings can be used to inform public policies that lead to the development of supports and services that better meet the needs of autistic people and their families in this context.