Community services outcomes for families and children with autism spectrum disorders

In an era in which evidence based practices are becoming the standard of care, there is little evidence that the current array of services commonly delivered for those with autism is helpful. This study describes community-based service utilization and caregiver-rated outcomes of services on symptoms of 113 children with autism spectrum disorders and their families. Parents/caregivers reported on nine types of services, received in the prior 6 months, which were evaluated against child and family outcomes. Caregivers rated in-home behavior therapy as providing the best outcomes overall for the child and respite care as providing the best outcomes for the family. Younger children were reported to have better outcomes than older children. Polytherapy was the rule, rather than the exception, as children used a mean of 3.5 different services. The frequency of services and the number of different types of services utilized correlated with family but not child outcomes. Examination of the potentiating effect of medication on outcomes of psychosocial interventions was not significant.