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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to survey a selected group of parents of autistic children to determine their most pressing needs and concerns. The investigator designed a questionnaire to elicit information on the skills which parents would like their autistic children to develop, the services that parents received, utilized, and desired, and the concerns which they had for the future of their autistic children. Copies of the questionnaire were distributed to the families of 165 autistic children attending New Jersey schools that had special programs for the autistic. Eighty-one families (49%) completed the questionnaire.
The data gathered from the completed questionnaires were analyzed using computer-generated cross tabulations. Frequencies of response were determined.
A number of conclusions were drawn based on the data gathered from the study. Language and communications and self-care and self-help were the skill groups that were noted by the greatest number of parents. There existed a number of services that were desired by many families but were available to only a few. Parents shared a number of concerns for the future of their autistic children. What will happen to the child after his or her parents' death and the availability of appropriate residential placement were the two most common concerns.
The results of this study may be of interest to educators who develop programs, professionals who make policies, and government officials who award funds. Recommendations for further study were discussed.
