Where are all the Services: Mapping Community-Based Services for Canadian Autistic Youth with Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions.
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| Title: | Where are all the Services: Mapping Community-Based Services for Canadian Autistic Youth with Co-occurring Mental Health Conditions. |
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| Authors: | Andreasen, Stephanie (AUTHOR), Kuntz, Jennifer (AUTHOR), Ames, Megan E. (AUTHOR), Coombs, E. C. (AUTHOR), McMorris, Carly (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders. May2026, Vol. 56 Issue 5, p1866-1879. 14p. |
| Subjects: | Mental illness treatment, Treatment of autism, Health services accessibility, Medical care use, Qualitative research, Mental health, Autism, Mental illness, Neurodiversity, Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, Decision making, Thematic analysis, Metropolitan areas, Quality of life, Asperger's syndrome, Comparative studies, Data analysis software, Social support, Comorbidity, Community-based social services, Health care teams, Integrated health care delivery, Psychosocial factors, Adolescence |
| Geographic Terms: | Canada |
| Abstract: | Purpose: Autistic youth are at heightened risk of mental health issues and face several barriers to accessing appropriate supports. A lack of available services is a common barrier that many autistic youth experience, with only 43% of autistic youth from the US who needed mental health services receiving them. Little is known about the availability of these mental health services in Canada, despite the high prevalence of mental health issues in autistic youth. The current study is one of very few that has reviewed the state of community-based programs and services for the support of mental health challenges in autistic people in North America, and the first such study in Canada. Methods: Using an environmental scan methodology, we conducted a search of resource listings on various community websites with a filter for "autism". The resulting websites were then reviewed to find what services providers offer for autistic youth (≥ 25 years) and contacted to complete a survey. Results: 267 listings of mental health supports were identified in the initial search, with 94 sites that specifically mentioned serving autistic youth. 43% (n = 40) of service providers completed a survey about the services they offered, therapeutic approaches, and background training. Providers reported that neurodiversity approaches and multi-disciplinary teams were working well in their practices, yet funding access and society's views on autism were barriers they face. Conclusion: Findings add to the growing body of evidence that availability of services is a systemic barrier that many autistic youth experience when accessing mental health supports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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