Use of health care services of children with autism at Yuwaprasart Waithayopathum Child Psychiatric Hospital.

Abstract

Objective : To study use of health care services in children with autism and associated factors.

Design : Cross-sectional descriptive study

Setting : Yuwaprasart Waithayopathum Child Psychiatric Hospital

Sample : Three hundred and four parents of children with autism.

Materials and Methods : Parents of autistic children, 304 of whom were older than 15 years for the parents of children who have been diagnosed by a physician. The children receive health services at least not less than three months. Parents answered about demographic data, health services and related factors in use of health care services. Data was analyzed by descriptive statistic for the percentage, mean, standard deviation.

Result : Parents 80.3 % were female, 48.4% age between 30 - 39 years old 35.2% were housewives 70.4% are mother 80.3% most of children with autism were male 55.3% age between 2 - 5 years old 88.8% were diagnosed at age 1- 3 years old 48% have no access to education 41.1% have age of first detection of abnormal symptoms in the first 2 years 51.6% have been treated for between 1 - 4 years 60.5% have been treated with drugs 31.6% of drug treatment was Risperidone 6.9% was Ritalin. Health care services combine with medicine in the top five ranking at Yuwaprasart Waithayopathum Child Psychiatric Hospital and other hospitals include Early intervention (47.7%) Speech therapy (44.7%) Occupational therapy (43.4%) Behavior modification (33.9%) and Social skill training (30.6%) Factors associated with the use of services were parental expectation of the services to improve the children’s symptoms, the symptoms of autism and courtesy of staff and quality of service.

Conclusion : The results showed that almost all children with autism are different types of treatment. Health services were the most treatment is Early Intervention. Speech therapy and Occupational therapy. In developing services for autistic children should emphasize different kind of therapies such as Early Intervention as well as children’s symptoms, parental expectation and quality of services.