Characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorders who received services through community mental health centers.
Community mental health centers touch fewer than one in seven kids with ASD, and those who do get through often bring heavy comorbid loads.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team looked at every child who got help from Kansas community mental health centers in 2004.
They counted how many had autism or other autism spectrum disorders.
Then they checked what extra services and diagnoses each child had.
What they found
Fewer than 15 out of every 100 kids with ASD ever reached these centers.
Children labeled "autism" mostly used special-ed classes.
Kids with Asperger's or PDD-NOS had more ADHD, ODD, mood problems, and hospital stays.
How this fits with other research
Reyer et al. (2006) showed Medicaid spends ten times more on ASD kids, mainly for psychiatric hospital stays.
Takahashi et al. (2023) and Schaaf et al. (2015) later proved a medical home can slash unmet needs by 86%.
Cidav et al. (2014) found Medicaid waivers boost outpatient use, offering a fix to the low 2004 numbers.
Together the papers show: kids need coordinated care, not just more clinics.
Why it matters
If you serve ASD clients, expect most to carry extra diagnoses. Screen for ADHD, ODD, and mood signs even when autism is already known. Push for medical-home or waiver programs in your area so families stop falling through the cracks.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →Add a quick comorbidity checklist to your intake and call the family’s care coordinator to set up a medical-home plan.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Despite the presence of significant psychiatric comorbidity among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), little research exists on those who receive community-based mental health services. This project examined one year (2004) of data from the database maintained by 26 community mental health centers (CMHCs) in the Midwestern US state of Kansas. Children with autism were compared to children with other ASDs - Asperger's disorder, Rett's disorder, and PDD-NOS. Children with autism predictably received more special education services than children with other ASDs, while the latter were more likely to have experienced prior psychiatric hospitalization. Children with ASDs other than autism were also significantly more likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, depressive disorders, and bipolar disorder. In 2004, Kansas CMHCs served less than 15 percent of the children estimated to have an ASD. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2008 · doi:10.1177/1362361307085214