Book Description

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and repetitive, restricted behaviors, with a current estimated prevalence of 1:54. Individuals with ASD typically benefit from a range of medical, psychological, and other services due to impairments caused by ASD as well as high rates of comorbid conditions. Despite this increased need, individuals with ASD and their families often report significant difficulty accessing services, an issue which is compounded for some groups including minoritized racial groups and people living in rural areas. The current study sought to identify challenges faced by clients with ASD and their families when attempting to access behavioral health services via telehealth within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific research questions were: (1) What are the most common challenges faced by clients with ASD and their families when attempting to access telehealth services? (2) What are the most problematic barriers (i.e., barriers most associated with being unable to access telehealth) faced by clients with ASD and their families when attempting access telehealth services? and (3) Which demographic groups (e.g., race, age, comorbidities) are least likely to be able to access telehealth? Data were extracted from client records of a multi-site provider of developmental disability (DD) services in Ohio following Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Results of our analyses suggest that the most common challenges faced by clients with ASD and their families were issues related to client behavior, including client inattention, client noncompliance, and need for in-person support. In regard to ability versus inability to access telehealth services, need for in-person support was found to be related to decreased likelihood of receiving telehealth services, and client inattention was found to be related to increased likelihood of receiving telehealth services. Demographic groups most likely to experience difficulty accessing telehealth services were African American/Black clients and clients with a language disorder. Results of the current study re-iterate challenges identified in previous studies on healthcare access for clients with ASD and their families, including issues related to behavior and communication difficulties. They also highlight the effects of race on access to services, with minoritized racial groups consistently being found to experience increased challenges in accessing healthcare. While future research should further study these effects on additional samples and outside of the context of COVID-19, the current results provide information on where interventions designed to increase access to behavioral health services may be most efficiently targeted. Possible solutions to address identified issues are discussed.