Researchers at the MCPER Autism Spectrum Disorders Institute surveyed parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) to determine how they prioritized treatment options. Two major findings were reported. First, the primary treatment priorities matched the core features of ASDs: communication and social functioning. However, parents also identified behaviors in domains not directly related to these core symptoms, including academics, community living, vocational skills, and recreation and leisure skills, as important to target. Second, although most treatment priorities aligned with areas in which the children struggled the most, parents also targeted domains, including domestic living, community living, and job skills, independent of their children’s skill level. These findings suggest that parents may use different types of logic to guide treatment program development.
