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. 2024 Mar 12:15:1299473.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1299473. eCollection 2024.

Access and cost of services for autistic children and adults in Italy: a carers' perspective

Martina Micai  1 , Francesca Fulceri  1 , Tommaso Salvitti  1 , Giovanna Romano  2 , Maria Luisa Scattoni  1
Affiliations

Access and cost of services for autistic children and adults in Italy: a carers' perspective

Martina Micai et al. Front Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: Limited information exists on autistic service access and costs in Italy.

Objectives: This study aims to investigate access to educational, healthcare, social, and related services for autistic individuals in Italy as part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder in the European Union (ASDEU) project.

Methods: Italian carers of autistic individuals completed an online survey regarding services and costs in the 6 months before completion.

Results: Three hundred and three carers of autistic people participated in the survey. The majority of those receiving care were children, males, and lived at home with their parents. Autistic adults were often students (17%) or unemployed but willing to work (17%). Employed carers (49%) worked on average 32.23 ± 9.27 hours per week. A significant portion (82%) took work or school absences to care for autistic individuals, averaging 15.56 ± 14.70 days. On average, carers spent 58.84 ± 48.36 hours per week on caregiving duties. Fifty-five of the autistic individuals received some form of support, 5% utilized residential care, and 6% were hospitalized. Thirty-four percent received outpatient hospital care, and 20% underwent some form of autism-related psychopharmacological therapy. School support was primarily provided by support teachers (18.16 ± 7.02 hours/week). Educational psychologists (80.73%), psychomotor therapists/physiotherapists (53.85%), and speech therapists (50.91%) were frequently paid by carers who paid more per hour. Autistic children received support from educators (73.96 hours/week), group therapy (32.36 hours/week), and speech therapists (31.19 hours/week). Psychologists (76.00%) and counseling/individual therapists (89.13%) were often paid by carers. Carers reported high costs for psychiatrists and psychologists, with frequent use of psychiatric services (8 ± 8 times in 6 months).

Conclusions: Carers' perspectives on the access and costs of services for autistic individuals in Italy can provide insights into areas for improvement in the delivery of autism services.

Keywords: Italy; autism spectrum disorder; carers; financial cost; use of services.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

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