Variation in socio-economic burden for caring of children with autism spectrum disorder in Oman: caregiver perspectives

A cross-sectional study was conducted to investigate whether caregiver's variations in socioeconomic status (SES) has direct bearing on challenges of nurturing children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Oman. A cadre of caregivers (n = 150) from two types of SES (low-income and middle-high income) were compared based on four domains: (1) accessing and perception of remedial services, (2) utilization and perception of psychiatric services, (3) constraints for being a caregiver of children with ASD and (4) financial expenses of taking care of children with ASD. There is little indication that any particular SES fare well on these domains. Factors to mitigate such predicaments are therefore imperative in order to improve quality of life for caregivers among children with ASD. Keywords Socio-economic burden * Autism * ASD * Caregiver * Oman
Introduction Autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that are defined by impairments within the following three categories: social interaction, communication skills, and patterns of activities (American [...]