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Service Delivery Experiences and Intervention Needs of Military Families with Children with ASD

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of military families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) specifically as it relates to relocation. Online survey methodology was used to gather information from military spouses with children with ASD. The finalized dataset included 189 cases. Descriptive statistics and frequency analyses were used to examine participant demographics and service delivery questions. Results indicated the larger sample of military spouses largely confirmed the experiences reported qualitatively in previous studies and contributed information that was previously unknown about variables associated with the access, availability, quality, and frequency of intervention services for military families with children with ASD.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all of the families who graciously gave their time to participate in the survey and the groups and families who helped forward our recruiting message. Additionally, we would like to thank colleagues, friends, and family who offered guidance and support through the duration of this project. Thank you for your help and support.

Author Contributions

JD conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination, data collection, data analysis, and drafted the manuscript; EF participated in the design, data analysis, and manuscript revisions; BH participated in the design, statistical data analysis, and manuscript revisions. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University, 308 Ford Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Jennifer M. Davis & Erinn Finke

  2. Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, The Pennsylvania State University, 704M Ford Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Benjamin Hickerson

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  1. Jennifer M. Davis
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  2. Erinn Finke
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Correspondence to Jennifer M. Davis.

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Davis, J.M., Finke, E. & Hickerson, B. Service Delivery Experiences and Intervention Needs of Military Families with Children with ASD. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 1748–1761 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2706-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2706-8

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