Special educational support in children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Germany: Results from a parent survey.

OBJECTIVE

Children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often receive special educational support (SES). This study aimed to evaluate SES prevalence in children and adolescents with ASD in Germany.

METHODS

A mail survey was distributed to the caregivers of 637 children and adolescents recruited at three German ASD outpatient clinics.

RESULTS

Among the 211 respondents (response: 33.1 %), 82.5 % were provided with a special educational needs statement, and 63.9 % received special education, most of them attending a public special school (57.9 %). The most frequently indicated additional support was a classroom assistant (69.0 %), followed by smaller learning groups (31.7 %). Special education was less frequently provided to individuals with Asperger syndrome than to those with childhood or atypical autism (36.0 %, 76.1 %, and 63.4 %, respectively). Using logistic regression analysis, receiving special education was significantly associated with lower IQ (<85) (Odds Ratio (OR): 8.72; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 3.41-22.32) and younger age (≤11 years, OR: 2.87; 95 % CI: 1.11-7.38), but not with ASD symptom severity.

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of children and adolescents with ASD received SES, indicating a satisfactory supply of such services in Germany. The finding that lower IQ but not ASD symptom severity predicted access to SES raises questions about the specificity of the used selection criteria.