Parents of Children with More Severe ASD Experienced Greater Impacts on Employment Outcomes
A recent Kaiser Permanente study has determined that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were less likely to be in the workforce. In addition, employed ASD parents tended to work fewer hours than parents of children with other health conditions or parents of children without significant health concerns. The authors came to these conclusions by analyzing electronic health records to identify three groups of children: those with ASD, asthma, or neither condition (control). The study enrolled 1461 families (564 ASD, 468 asthma, 429 control). The children involved in this research were predominantly male and ranged from 3 to 16.5 years old. Over the course of a year, the participants’ parents completed three online surveys to measure their employment outcomes. Surveys included the Family Economic Impact Inventory (measuring employment impacts), a quality of life evaluation, and a measurement of symptom severity. Results showed that of the three participant groups, parents of children with autism suffered the most interrupted employment (e.g., job changes, missed time from work, and reduced productivity while working). These employment challenges negatively affected ASD families in several ways. Primarily, the study determined that parents of children with ASD are more likely to quit their jobs due to caregiving responsibilities or lose their jobs due to those same responsibilities. The short-term negative impact of parental un- or underemployment is reduced income, which is devastating for ASD families since they face increased medical costs compared to other families. However, in the long run, and perhaps even more fiscally detrimental, the study suggested that parents of children with autism who remain out of the workforce for long periods due to heavy caregiving duties risked a limited career trajectory. The authors pointed out that caregiving responsibilities often occur while the parent is in early adulthood, a critical time for career development and advancement. They proposed that reduced work during this pivotal time can affect parents’ future employability or career advancement, impacting the family’s long-term financial stability. Sadly, this research also discovered that parents of children with more severe ASD experienced more significant consequences on employment outcomes than parents of children with less severe ASD. The study concludes by calling for a greater understanding of how having a child with ASD impacts parental employment so that effective public and workplace policies can be created to support ASD families better.
