Immediate Caregiving Environment of Young Children with Autism: Findings from the U.S. National Survey of Children’s Health

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disability that negatively affects children’s learning, motor behavior, social communication, and interaction. It was estimated that, in 2020, 1 in 36 children aged 8 years in the United States had ASD. Caring for children with ASD might exert significant psychological and emotional distress on parents. Receiving parental emotional support and fostering positive parent–child interactions at home have been identified as beneficial for the immediate caregiving environment for children with ASD. The current secondary analysis of the 2019–2020 National Survey of Children’s Health examined parent–child interactions and accessible sources of emotional support for parents caring for 3–5-year-old children diagnosed with ASD (N = 243). Children with the following characteristics had higher odds of having ASD: male gender; having no private insurance or uninsured; and having less than excellent general health. Among parents, higher odds of caring for children with ASD were associated with accessing emotional support from various sources, especially from healthcare professionals and peers, and spending more time telling stories and/or singing to their children. Given these significant health disparities, educational interventions and strategies are needed to foster a positive home caregiving environment for young children with ASD, including equitable access to parent resources.