Health Service Utilization by Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Versus Global Developmental Delay at a Tertiary Center in a Resource-Limited Setting

ABSTRACT: Objective: We investigated patterns and predictors of health service utilization (HSU) among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and global developmental delays (GDD, non-ASD) attending tertiary services in a resource-constrained setting. Method: Caregivers and children (diagnosed with either ASD or GDD) attending the developmental service were enrolled into a retrospective cohort study. Sociodemographic factors, clinical factors, and service use over the preceding year were collected using structured questionnaires and medical record reviews. Results: We enrolled 240 households (116 ASD, 124 GDD; ages 3–8 years; male:female ratio 2:1). The majority (84%) had moderate-to-severe symptoms, and 42% were nonverbal. Children with GDD had higher levels of underlying syndromic diagnoses than those with ASD (46, 37.1%; 14, 9.5%); (p
Source: Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics - Category: Child Development Tags: Original Article Source Type: research