New Report Finds Over Half of Children with ASD Live in Low-Income Households
The Autism Intervention Network on Physical Health (AIR-P), a subdivision within UCLA Health’s Department of Medicine, has released a report examining the intersection of autism, poverty, and race/ethnicity. The report specifically looked at how this combination impacts health and health care of those with the disorder. The key takeaway of this research is that household income is a very important determinant for understanding health disparities for people on the spectrum. The study reports that household income is associated with differences in health status, insurance coverage, medical expenditures, and healthcare access. Sadly, the report identified that over 50% of children with autism lived in low-income households and 25% were living in poverty, which represents a higher rate than typically developing children. Children living in low-income households were more likely to be non-white. However, the study’s authors discovered that across all income levels, children with autism experienced more challenges than children without the disorder across a broad range of health outcomes. The report also discovered:
- Both poverty and race/ethnicity independently and in combination contributed to health inequities among autistic children.
- Higher rates of health-related challenges were evident across all socioeconomic groups.
- While children living in poverty generally had the highest rates of health and health care challenges regardless of autism status, and rates typically decreased with each level of rising income, there were still notable differences in the relationship between income and health and health care among autistic children versus non-autistic children.
- Race/ethnicity were also risk factors for poor health and health care outcomes among autistic children.
- Differences between White and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) children were also present across specific racial/ethnic categories.
- Racial/ethnic disparities remained even when we grouped children by household income.
In the end, the study’s authors call for any efforts in reducing health inequities to be combined with efforts to improve economic stability of children, especially for those with autism who are also BIPOC.
