Parent and pediatrician perspectives regarding the primary care of children with autism spectrum disorders.
Parents see primary-care ASD services far more negatively than pediatricians do—boost family-centered care to close the gap.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Chiviacowsky et al. (2013) asked parents and pediatricians to rate the same thing: how well primary-care doctors handle autism.
They mailed short surveys to both groups. Each group scored the doctor’s ASD skills and the family-centered feel of the visit.
What they found
Parents gave far lower marks than doctors gave themselves.
When visits felt family-centered, parent scores jumped. Doctors barely noticed the difference.
How this fits with other research
Ghaderi et al. (2019) extends the story north: Ontario doctors also say, “I know autism,” yet still feel uneasy treating it. The gap is not just parent imagination.
Libero et al. (2016) adds money to the picture. Low-income parents know fewer service options, so the parent-doctor gap may widen for them.
Colombet et al. (2023) shows the gap lasts. A decade later French caregivers still cry, “We need more knowledge,” even when they claim to be informed.
Why it matters
You can close the perception gap tomorrow. Start visits by asking parents what they need, not what you plan to tell. Use plain words, write down next steps, and schedule a quick follow-up. Family-centered care is free, fast, and raises parent trust the same day.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (n = 144) and primary care providers (PCPs) (n = 144) completed similar surveys assessing the ability of the PCP to address ASD-specific needs. Parents also rated their PCP's ability to deliver family-centered care. A majority of parents rated their PCP's ability as "not good" in addressing 14 of 17 ASD-specific needs, while a majority of PCPs rated themselves as "good" in addressing 10 of 17 areas. On 7 of 17 items, parents rated their PCPs lower than PCPs rated themselves. Parents who reported receiving family-centered care were more likely to rate the PCP's ability to meet ASD specific needs as "good". Both parents and PCPs identified areas for improvement in caring for children with ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2013 · doi:10.1007/s10803-012-1640-7