Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of Emergency Service Use In Autistic Youth And Young Adults, Rebecca S. Bradley

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autistic youth are at an increased risk for needing emergency services as compared to neurotypical peers. In fact, approximately 20% of autistic youth will interact with police by the age of 21, and rates of emergency department visits are 30 – 70% higher among autistic individuals than neurotypical peers. While research has begun to explore the nature of emergency service use in this group, researchers have not yet assessed important individual-, family-, and community-level factors that may be associated with these encounters. This study aimed to address this gap in the field by 1) characterizing families of autistic children who …