CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS AT THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE: SITUTATION IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC AS VIEWED BY PARENTS
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are among the most severe disorders of mental health in children and their prevalence in the society is increasing. Th e fundamental symptoms of ASD are defi cits in communication and social behavior, restricted interests or diffi culties in the adaptation to the unknown environment.
Th e daily outine activities in the life of families with children with ASD thus become challenging in many aspects. Visits to the doctor's offi ce can be exceptionally stressful for children with ASD, but also for their parents and the medical stuff.
Our article summarizes the trends in providing the healthcare to children with ASD in the Czech epublic and abroad. Th ese trends served as the basis for conducting a quantitative research with 474 participating parents.
Our major fi ndings are that parents with children with ASD visit doctors more oft en than other parents, they are less satisfi ed with the provided care and, in general, they are more stressed by all kind of visits to the doctor's office.