Autism service preferences of parents/guardians and autistic adults in five countries.
Autistic adults and parents across five countries clearly prefer autism-specific services, so start there and retrofit general programs only when needed.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Cascio et al. (2022) asked autistic adults and parents in five countries what kind of services they want.
They used an online survey. People picked autism-only programs, general programs, or both.
The team wanted to know if adults and parents want different things.
What they found
Most people picked autism-specific services.
Parents and adults chose the same way.
If a family already used a service, they were more likely to want it again.
How this fits with other research
Mansell et al. (2004) asked UK parents the same question years ago. They also found parents liked special schools best. The new study shows the wish for autism-only help is still strong and now spans countries.
Lineberry et al. (2023) found that less than 40% of UK autistic adults get any follow-up after diagnosis. Ariel’s team shows these adults still want autism-tailored care, so the gap is not lack of desire—it is lack of supply.
Rattaz et al. (2014) saw French parents happy with caring staff but upset when tools were not autism-specific. Ariel’s results echo this: people want services built for autism from the start, not general help later tweaked.
Why it matters
When you plan services, lead with autism-specific options first. If you must use general programs, add autism training and visuals so the space still feels made for them. Ask families what they already use and like, then build on that history. This small shift raises buy-in and saves time.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Scholars and activists debate whether people on the autism spectrum should access autism-specific services or general/inclusive/mainstream services. This article presents quantitative results from a mixed-methods survey of autistic adults and parents/guardians of autistic people in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States. Respondents reported categories of services used (autism-specific, mixed-disability, or general/inclusive/mainstream), satisfaction, and overall service preference. Most respondents preferred autism-specific services, followed by different categories of services for different service types. Demographic factors had little influence on overall service preferences. No significant differences were found between adults' and parents/guardians' overall service preferences. For parents/guardians, using autism-specific services was associated with a preference for autism-specific services. There were significant associations between the services respondents reported having previously used and their overall service preference. Parents/guardians in Italy and France reported lower satisfaction with many services. These results suggest that a preference for autism-specific services pervades different groups. While most respondents did endorse autism-specific services, the strong secondary preference for different service categories encourages providers and policy makers to attend to diverse needs. While satisfaction was generally middling to high, there remain areas for improvement, especially in general job training services. General services can use a Universal Design approach and collaborate with autism-specific and mixed-disability services to increase accessibility to diverse populations. The influence of previous service use on preferences suggests that providers can leverage strengths of existing services, leverage and create connections, and ask users about previous experiences to better address their expectations. LAY SUMMARY: This study asked autistic adults and parents/guardians of autistic people what they think about autism services. Most parents/guardians and adults liked services that focus on autism, but many parents/guardians and adults liked them for some things and not others. All services can ask people about services they used in the past and learn from the strengths of good services through Universal Design and working with other services.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2022 · doi:10.1002/aur.2667