Use of allied-health services and medication among adults with ASD in Latin America.
Adults with autism in Latin America live on meds and no therapy—so BCBAs must pack full programs into every rare visit.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Andy et al. (2021) asked adults with autism in Latin America how many hours of therapy they get.
They also asked who takes medicine.
The team sent the survey to adults in nine countries.
What they found
Most adults get zero hours of speech, OT, or behavior help each week.
At the same time, many take daily meds.
Services are almost gone, yet pills are common.
How this fits with other research
Ghanouni et al. (2021) asked US adults the same thing and heard the same story: doors are closed.
Boxum et al. (2018) saw language block kids’ hours in the US. That looks like a clash, but it is not.
The kids lost hours because parents spoke little English. The Latin adults lost hours because the whole region has no staff.
Chamak et al. (2016) showed French adults stuck at home. Andy’s numbers now prove the gap is wider and measured.
Why it matters
If you serve Latino clients or travel to train, plan for a blank slate. Bring brief manuals, parent coaching, and tele-health ready to run. Expect no local helpers and lots of pill questions. Build tiny, sturdy programs that work with zero outside support.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects people across the entire lifespan, yet most of the research identifying the health and medical needs for autistic individuals have been among minors. As individuals with ASD transition to emerging adulthood, the services, already limited, become less available. This study aimed to identify the use of services for Latin American adults on the spectrum. We surveyed 295 caregivers of adults with ASD from six Latin American countries. Comparing the results for all the possible services observed in this study, the adults in our sample were primarily underserved: 84.4%-95.9% were receiving zero hours per week, 3.7%-12.9% 1%-10 h, 0%-1.7% 11-20, and only 0%-1% above 20 h of services. Almost half of the sample used medication, and neurologists were the most consulted health providers. Next to inexistent health care usage in Latin American adults with ASD highlights socioeconomic and health disparities in service provision for ASD in the region. The lack of services places adults with ASD in Latin America at a higher risk of worse symptom severity than autistic adults from regions with broader access to services. LAY SUMMARY: This study aimed to identify the quantity of services received by adults with autism in Latin America. Most of our sample was not receiving health services yet almost half had access to medication. This could mean that adults with autism in Latin America are at higher risk for poorer health.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2021 · doi:10.1002/aur.2583