Development and evaluation of a novel caregiver-report tool to assess barriers to physical healthcare for people on the autism spectrum.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

People on the autism spectrum often experience poorer health than the general population despite higher engagement with the health services. This suggests a disparity in the accessibility of appropriate healthcare for autistic individuals. To improve access, barriers the autism community experience in healthcare first need to be identified. This paper aimed to: 1) develop and evaluate a caregiver-report tool; 2) identify barriers to physical healthcare for autistic individuals; and 3) identify potential contributing factors.

Methods

A previously established taxonomy of barriers to healthcare for autistic individuals informed the development of the tool; this was then distributed to caregivers of autistic adults and children. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) ass

SUBMITTER: Walsh C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7554131 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature