Table 1.
Parents’ and Child’s Demographic Characteristics (n = 11)
| Demographic Information | n | Mean (SD) |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship to child with ASD | ||
| Mother | 8 | |
| Father | 3 | |
| Age (years) | 36.30 (7.07) | |
| Family ethnicity | ||
| Malay | 10 | |
| Others | 1 | |
| Member of ASD support group | ||
| Yes | 9 | |
| No | 2 | |
| Participated in any activity organized by Support group | ||
| Yes | 8 | |
| No | 3 | |
| Monthly family incomea | ||
| 3000 MYR and less | 4 | |
| 3001 MYR – 5000 MYR | 2 | |
| 5001 MYR and above | 5 | |
| Age of child with ASD (years) | 4.36 (1.63) | |
| Age of child at diagnosis of ASD | 3.27 (0.91) | |
| Gender of child | ||
| Male | 9 | |
| Female | 2 | |
| Type of school | ||
| Not yet started | 2 | |
| Playschool/nursery | 4 | |
| Special needs class | 5 | |
| Receiving a disability allowance | ||
| Yes | 9 | |
| No | 2 | |
| Disability card holder | ||
| Yes | 6 | |
| No | 5 | |
| Comorbiditiesb | ||
| Yes | 2 | |
| No | 9 | |
| Presence of other conditions associated with ASD | ||
| Hyperactivity | 4 | |
| Speech and/or language difficulties | 11 | |
| Sleep difficulties | 4 | |
| Learning difficulties | 5 | |
| Feeding difficulties | 10 |
Notes: a4.16 MYR = 1 USD. bThe “comorbidities” included asthma (n = 1) and hearing impairment (n = 1).
Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; ASD, autism spectrum disorder; MYR, Malaysian ringgit; USD, United States dollar.