Missed check-ups, delayed autism diagnoses among low-income children
Quote:
Children from low-income families are diagnosed with autism about eight months later than their wealthier peers, regardless of how many ‘well-child’ visits they attend, according to a new study.
The analysis reviewed insurance claims for 253 autistic children who were born in Virginia in 2011. Those on Medicaid, government-funded health insurance for low-income families in the United States, were diagnosed with autism at 48.5 months of age, on average, compared with 40.7 months for those with private insurance.
But nearly one in five of the children in the study did not attend a single well-child visit between ages 1 and 5, and most children attended fewer than half of the recommended visits. Children on Medicaid are less likely to attend these checkups than are those with private insurance. The findings appeared in The Journal of Pediatrics in September.
For children who are still undiagnosed at their 3-year-old visit, “those who have Medicaid insurance are 85 percent less likely to be diagnosed” at that checkup than are privately insured children, DeGuzman says.
A prior study by DeGuzman also found that young children in rural Virginia attend fewer well-child visits than children living in urban areas. One reason for this difference may be that, in some parts of western Virginia, the closest developmental pediatrician lives more than three hours away by car.
The new work has some holes; because it’s based on insurance claims, it does not include details on race or income.
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
It is Autism Acceptance Month
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
06 Oct 2021, 8:19 am
