Types of Services and Costs of Programs for Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder Across Sectors: A Comparison of Two Canadian Provinces

Kate Tsiplova; Wendy J Ungar; Helen E Flanagan; Jeffrey den Otter; Charlotte Waddell; Patricia Murray; Barbara D'Entremont; Natalie Léger; Nancy Garon; Susan Bryson; Isabel M Smith

doi:10.1007/s10803-019-03993-3

Types of Services and Costs of Programs for Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder Across Sectors: A Comparison of Two Canadian Provinces

J Autism Dev Disord. 2019 Jun;49(6):2492-2508. doi: 10.1007/s10803-019-03993-3.

Authors

Kate Tsiplova¹, Wendy J Ungar^{2

3

4}, Helen E Flanagan⁵, Jeffrey den Otter⁶, Charlotte Waddell⁷, Patricia Murray⁸, Barbara D'Entremont⁹, Natalie Léger⁶, Nancy Garon¹⁰, Susan Bryson^{5

11}, Isabel M Smith^{5

11}

Affiliations

¹ Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
² Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada. wendy.ungar@sickkids.ca.
³ Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Suite 425, Toronto, ON, M5T 3M6, Canada. wendy.ungar@sickkids.ca.
⁴ Program of Child Health Evaluative Sciences, The Hospital for Sick Children Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, 11th floor, 686 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada. wendy.ungar@sickkids.ca.
⁵ Autism Research Centre, IWK Health Centre, 4th Floor Link Building, 5850/5980 University Avenue, Halifax, NS, B3K 6R8, Canada.
⁶ Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, Government of New Brunswick, Place 2000, P. O. Box 6000, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5H1, Canada.
⁷ Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, V5A 1S6, Canada.
⁸ Department of Health and Wellness, Government of Nova Scotia, PO Box 488, Halifax, NS, B3J 2R8, Canada.
⁹ Department of Psychology, University of New Brunswick, PO Box 4400, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada.
¹⁰ Department of Psychology, Mount Allison University, 49A York St., Sackville, NB, E4L 1C7, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, 5850 University Avenue, P. O. Box 9700, Halifax, NS, B3K 6R8, Canada.

PMID: 30937737
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-03993-3

Abstract

This study measured resource utilization and costs for pre-school autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-related services in community-based sectors from multiple payer perspectives in two Canadian provinces, Nova Scotia (NS) and New Brunswick (NB), during the 12 months prior to and following the start of early intensive behavioural intervention (EIBI). The results indicate significant differences between NB and NS in utilization of services and costs to families, public sector and society. Differences can be attributed to variation in EIBI delivery models and may also be influenced by differences in diagnostic assessment practices. The study results provide resource utilization rates and costs which could be used in future economic evaluations and to inform policy making to improve outcomes for children with ASD.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Cost; Preschool-aged children; Service use.

MeSH terms

Autism Spectrum Disorder*
Behavior Therapy / economics*
Behavior Therapy / methods
Canada
Child
Child, Preschool
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Early Intervention, Educational / economics*
Early Intervention, Educational / methods
Female
Health Resources / economics*
Humans
Male

Grants and funding

PHE 122189/Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Canada