Screening and treatment of trauma-related symptoms in youth with autism spectrum disorder among community providers in the United States.
Connor M Kerns, Steven J Berkowitz, Lauren J Moskowitz and 3 others
PMID 31200605WHAT IT FOUND
Most U.S. providers for youth with autism asked about trauma, but few screened or treated all patients.
Allied health providers, including PTs, OTs and SLPs, screened less often than mental health providers.
Key findings
01The final analytic sample was 673 providers, and 74% inquired about trauma-related symptoms in at least some patients, 56% screened and 54% treated them.
02Only 10% screened all patients/students and 5% treated all patients/students.
03Allied health providers, including speech therapy, occupational therapy and physical therapy, screened at least some patients at 46%, compared with 81% among mental health providers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The survey was not nationally representative, so it may not reflect all U.S. providers or other countries. Providers reported their own practices, and the paper says direct observation may be needed to accurately characterize services. Trauma-related symptoms were defined by providers, not by the researchers or PTSD diagnostic criteria, so definitions may vary. The paper says there are no evidence-based practices for assessing and treating trauma in youth with autism, so screening and treatment rates do not show effective care. The survey asked about provider-reported screening, but providers may rely on clinical skill rather than standardized tools. 28 providers who answered don't know or unsure to both main questions were excluded.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the provider rates as evidence that trauma screening or treatment works. The survey asked what providers do, not whether they used formal tools or achieved outcomes, and the paper says there are no evidence-based practices for this subpopulation.