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Volume 5, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 0250-6882
  • E-ISSN: 0250-6882
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Abstract

Objective

This qualitative study explored parental perceptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Methods

Forty-one parents of children with ASD participated in five focus groups to explore their experiences with ASD services in the UAE. These moderated focus groups were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

The following primary themes and subthemes were identified: (a) lack of awareness and support, (b) challenges in accessibility and affordability, (c) inconsistent quality of therapeutic services, and (d) Lack of educational inclusion and support.

Conclusion

Findings of this study support the need for creating a comprehensive system of care for ASD that is coordinated, is person centered, and promotes continuity of care that improves the outcomes for those “navigating” the often-fragmented system of ASD in the UAE.

© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Bentham Science Publisher.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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/content/journals/nemj/10.2174/0250688205666230818113555
2024-01-01
2025-04-23

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/content/journals/nemj/10.2174/0250688205666230818113555
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Parental Perceptions of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Services in the UAE
NEW Emirates Medical J 5, e180823220001 (2024); https://doi.org/10.2174/0250688205666230818113555
/content/journals/nemj/10.2174/0250688205666230818113555
/content/journals/nemj/10.2174/0250688205666230818113555
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  • Article Type:     Research Article
Keyword(s): ASD; Autism; Autism spectrum disorders; Parental dissatisfaction; Parental perceptions; Service users

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