Survey of Parent Satisfaction About Services for Children with Pervasive Developmental Disorder

Abstract

The current study updated the results from the Howlin and Moore (1997) study and furthermore evaluated some specific issues regarding the diagnostic and intervention process for 126 parents of children with autism. The possible correlates of parent stress such as satisfaction with services, geographical location, age and type of diagnosis were explored. Descriptive statistics were reported for the age at which the diagnosis was received, and the age at which intervention services were first received. Pearson's coefficient of correlation and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to test the seven hypotheses. Results showed that the diagnosis of autism is becoming more systematic and is being received at much younger ages than before. Although non-significant, the findings suggest that these parents continue to experience clinical levels of stress as they seek services.