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ERIC Number: EJ1482878
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Oct
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1362-3613
EISSN: EISSN-1461-7005
Available Date: 0000-00-00
Pilot Rural-Urban Comparison of Health Care Experiences among Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults
E. Zhang1; Wafaa Alduraidi1; Makenna Snyder1; Ezra Kaiser1; Spencer Hunley1; Ann Davis1; Eve-Lynn Nelson1; Nancy Cheak-Zamora2
Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, v29 n10 p2425-2437 2025
Autistic adolescents and young adults face barriers to accessing health care, particularly during the pediatric-to-adult care transition. This study compared health care access, utilization, and provider interactions between rural and urban autistic adolescents and young adults. Autistic adolescents and young adults (N = 180) aged 14-25 were recruited through autism registries and community agencies across multiple US states from October 2022 to June 2023. They completed the Health Care Transition Experience Survey, a 51-item questionnaire evaluating health care experiences. Rural-urban differences were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. Rural autistic adolescents and young adults (n = 84) relied more on a single health care location, while urban autistic adolescents and young adults (n = 96) more often used multiple providers (72.6% vs 56.3%, p = 0.046). Rural autistic adolescents and young adults reported greater challenges with providers lacking autism-specific knowledge (40.5% vs 24.0%, p = 0.017) and limited nearby providers (57.1% vs 26.0%, p < 0.001). They also encountered more issues with dental insurance acceptance (46.4% vs 12.5%, p = 0.015), while urban autistic adolescents and young adults more often lacked dental insurance (33.3% vs 3.6%, p = 0.008). Significant rural-urban disparities were found in health care experiences, particularly provider availability and autism expertise in rural areas. Targeted interventions addressing rural health care barriers and enhanced provider training in autism care are needed.
SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub-com.bibliotheek.ehb.be
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: UT2MC39440; KL2TR002367
Author Affiliations: 1University of Kansas Medical Center, USA; 2The University of Texas at San Antonio, USA