Table 2.
Service utilization of children with autism spectrum disorder, by geographic region
| Total (n=711) % (SE) |
Northeast (n=145) % (SE) |
Midwest (n=148) % (SE) |
South (n=234) % (SE) |
West (n=184) % (SE) |
F-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Locations received care in past 12 months | ||||||
| Any office visits | 93.1 (1.6) | 97.2 (1.7) | 91.4 (4.3) | 90.7 (3.1) | 95.3 (2.0) | 1.17 |
| Multiple office visits | 80.9 (2.0) | 86.7 (3.6) | 78.5 (4.5) | 77.3 (3.7) | 84.0 (3.4) | 1.36 |
| Any emergency room visit | 22.1 (2.2) | 29.7 (5.3) | 22.0 (4.3) | 21.3 (3.8) | 16.8 (4.1) | 1.29 |
| Multiple emergency room visits | 8.5 (1.3) | 10.4 (3.0) | 11.5 (3.2) | 7.3 (2.0) | 5.9 (2.3) | 0.95 |
| Any home visit | 6.8 (1.4) | 11.6 (4.2) | 9.7 (3.4) | 2.0ab (0.8) | 7.5c (3.0) | 3.09* |
| Multiple home visits | 6.1 (1.4) | 9.9 (4.1) | 8.3 (3.4) | 1.8 (0.8) | 7.5 (3.0) | 2.38 |
| Any of these locations | 94.0 (1.6) | 97.8 (1.5) | 91.9 (4.3) | 92.2 (3.1) | 95.4 (2.0) | 0.95 |
| Multiple visits at any of these locations | 81.5 (2.0) | 88.0 (3.5) | 78.5 (4.5) | 78.2 (3.7) | 84.2 (3.4) | 1.45 |
| Providers seen in past 12 months | ||||||
| Generalist | 88.3 (1.7) | 94.3 (2.3) | 83.9 (3.9) | 88.1 (3.2) | 87.6 (2.8) | 1.56 |
| Specialist | 35.0 (2.5) | 42.2 (5.6) | 37.6 (4.8) | 33.5 (4.4) | 28.5 (4.8) | 1.25 |
| Mental health professional | 50.4 (2.5) | 56.1 (5.7) | 54.7 (4.4) | 45.7 (4.5) | 48.6 (5.1) | 1.07 |
| Therapist | 50.4 (2.6) | 60.6 (5.3) | 51.6 (5.2) | 40.6ab (4.9) | 41.0ab (4.7) | 3.43* |
| Any of these providers | 95.2 (1.2) | 99.3 (0.6) | 93.3 (2.3) | 93.3 (2.8) | 96.6 (1.3) | 2.33 |
NOTES: SE is standard error
a
Significantly different from children in Northeast after adjustment for child and family characteristics (p<0.05)
b
Significantly different from children in Midwest after adjustment for child and family characteristics (p<0.05)
c
Significantly different from children in South after adjustment for child and family characteristics (p<0.05)
*
p<0.05