Access to specialty care in autism spectrum disorders-a pilot study of referral source

Table 1 Demographic characteristics and referral pattern

Groups¹		ASD/XM n, (%)	ASD/TAC n, (%)	Comparison n, (%)
Age in years (range, median, mean ± SD)		3-19, 8, 8.1 ± 4.1	2-18, 6.5, 6.6 ± 4.1	0.5-18, 8.5, 8.4 ± 4.9
Male: Female		86:22**	61:20*	66:42
Insurance Provider	Private	56 (52%)***	53 (65%)***	18 (17%)
	Medicaid/Charity Care	52 (48%)	28 (35%)	90 (83%)
Referral source	Physicians	33 (30%)***	31 (38%)***	89 (83%)
	Self	57 (53%)	39 (49%)	8 (7%)
	Therapists or Teachers	15 (14%)	6 (7%)	9 (8%)
	Other	3 (3%)	5 (6%)	2 (2%)

1. ASD/XM and Comparison denote children with ASD and other neurological disorders evaluated by XM respectively; ASD/TAC denotes the group of children with ASD evaluated by other members of The Autism Center.
2 × 2 Chi square tests were performed for gender and insurance providers between ASD/XM and Comparison, between ASD/TAC and Comparison. 4 × 2 Chi square tests were performed for referral source between ASD/XM group and Comparison group, and between ASD/TAC group and Comparison group.
*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.

ISSN: 1472-6963