Short Report: Disparities in Hours of Applied Behavior Analysis Services for Medicaid-Enrolled Autistic Youth
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| Title: | Short Report: Disparities in Hours of Applied Behavior Analysis Services for Medicaid-Enrolled Autistic Youth |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Diondra Straiton-Webster (ORCID |
| Source: | Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice. 2026 30(4):1108-1114. |
| Availability: | 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 |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 7 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Applied Behavior Analysis, Health Services, Federal Programs, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Youth, Time, Disproportionate Representation, Rural Areas, Race, Ethnicity, Individual Characteristics, Sex |
| Geographic Terms: | Michigan |
| DOI: | 10.1177/13623613251392495 |
| ISSN: | 1362-3613 1461-7005 |
| Abstract: | To date, no studies have investigated whether disparities in hours of applied behavior analysis (ABA) exist in the Medicaid system. We used multilevel modeling to analyze Medicaid billing claims for 1,028 autistic youth under the age of 21 years to examine the extent to which there were disparities in hours of ABA services for Medicaid-enrolled youth based on race/ethnicity and rurality. Although younger children received more hours of ABA, F(1, 964.63) = 118.28, p < 0.001, there were no statistically significant differences in hours of ABA based on minoritized race/ethnicity status or sex. On average, youth served in rural areas received significantly less hours of ABA per month than those in non-rural areas, F(1, 122.13) = 7.89, p = 0.006; youth in rural areas received 10.86 less hours per month than those in non-rural areas. Results suggest that publicly funded service systems like Medicaid may reduce ABA service disparities by race/ethnicity. Policymakers should focus on improving service provision for youth in rural areas. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1500986 |
| Database: | ERIC |
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