Community perspectives on the appropriateness and importance of support goals for young autistic children.

Autistic children themselves were not included in the survey, so their direct perspectives are unknown. The sample was recruited via snowball sampling through autism organisations, which may not represent the wider population. Few autistic adults in the sample had an intellectual disability or had received early support services, limiting the generalisability to those groups. Participants rated goals for a hypothetical child, which may not reflect their actual priorities for a specific child. The survey used short descriptions of complex disability models, which may have oversimplified participants' views.

H.W. is the Clinic Lead of the Victoria University of Wellington Autism Clinic and A.J.O.W. is the Director of CliniKids, both of which provide support to young autistic children. Funding was provided by the National Health and Medical Research Council and a Victoria University of Wellington summer scholarship.

Do not interpret the low priority of 'autism characteristics' goals as a rejection of all support for autistic children. The study found that communication and daily living skills were still high priorities for most participants. The low ratings specifically reflect a shift away from goals aimed at normalising behaviour or curing autism, rather than a lack of desire for support.