Late identification of children with ASD remains a concern. Due to limited research in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as South Africa (SA), the early management of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should be further explored. The aim was to describe the demographic characteristics and typical early management of learners attending the six autism-specific government-funded schools in SA. Participants included 234 (28.4% of total approached) caregivers of children with ASD enrolled at the only six autism-specific government-funded schools in SA. Data were collected from parent-completed questionnaires. The majority of caregivers became concerned about their child's development on average at 25.2 months, but only a few (3.8%) thought it was ASD. Late identification was significantly associated with the respondent, nationality, qualification of the father and qualification of the mother. It appears that late identification sets a trajectory of late intervention. Factors underlying the trajectory appear to be unfamiliarity with ASD, and limited services and schools for children with ASD.Public awareness should focus on early symptoms associated with ASD risk to expedite early intervention.

Background: Despite inclusive education (IE) policies and legislation being introduced in South Africa (SA), learners with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are still placed in autismspecific public and private schools. Limited data are available on who makes use of the two different types of schools. Results may provide information on the profiles and education of learners with ASD in Gauteng schools.Aim: A quantitative, cross-sectional, comparative research design was used to compare the profiles of autism-specific public with autism-specific private schools and learners in Gauteng Province.Setting: The research was conducted in two autism-specific public and two private schools. Methods: Two survey questionnaires were used to collect data from four principals of two autism-specific public and two autism-specific private schools and 150 caregivers of learners attending the participating schools.Results: Results showed that because of their size autism-specific public schools make a significant contribution to the education of learners with ASD in Gauteng, compared to autismspecific private schools. Autism-specific public schools offer more therapy services than the autism-specific private schools, despite lower fees than autism-specific private schools. Significantly more black learners attend autism-specific public schools than autism-specific private schools. Regardless of the differences in population groups across the participating schools, the mean age when caregivers became concerned about their child's development was similar across the two types of schools. Learners enrolled at the autism-specific private schools were diagnosed with ASD earlier than learners enrolled at the autism-specific public schools. Also, they commenced school earlier than the learners in the autism-specific public schools. Lastly, three of the four principals expressed a preference that learners with ASD be placed in autism-specific schools. Conclusion:The results highlight the need to raise awareness of ASD symptoms among parents with young children in all communities and to determine the barriers that hinder IE for learners with ASD in SA.

Limited research is available about the financial costs incurred by families of children with ASD in low-andmiddle-income countries (LMICs). This article describes socio-demographic characteristics of and financial costs encountered by families whose children attend autism-specific government-funded schools in South Africa (SA). Survey questionnaires were completed by 234 caregivers (representing 28.4% of the caregivers involved in the six autism-specific schools around the country). The distribution of population group, nationality, household size, marital status, and average combined monthly household income closely reflect the national majority of families in SA. Families are living on a relatively low monthly household income and spending a significant amount on school fees, transportation, medical insurance payments, and extracurricular therapeutic services. Monthly social assistance government grants were accessed by 46.6% of families only and 57% do not own their own dwelling. Certain factors were associated with higher monthly income: higher qualification of the father and mother, school fees, medical insurance scheme payments and extracurricular therapy services. Key differences between our data and data from other LMICs are that our sample showed higher monthly household income, lower parental education, and more single mothers. LMICs families receive limited social assistance grants from governments. Country-specific research on families of children with ASD is needed.