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Occupational Therapy’S Needs Assessment For Service Navigation For Children With Autism, Kristina Lauren Paula

Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Background. This capstone project brings to our attention the importance of occupational therapy’s role in meeting the continued needs of children with autism. As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) continues to increase, so does the disparity in the accessibility of services for children and their families. Therefore, it is imperative to facilitate a diagnostic process and identify the child’s specific needs, to implement early intervention strategies. The medical model of disability, an internationally recognized approach in diagnosing children withautism, views autism as a problem that individually belongs to the child. Although the current medical model is preferred by …