Parent Experiences and Perceptions of Safety When Transporting Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Teresa Plummer; Missy Bryan; Katherine Dullaghan; Abigail Harris; Michaela Isenberg; Jacqueline Marquez; Lacy Rolling; Autumn Triggs

doi:10.5014/ajot.2021.041749

Parent Experiences and Perceptions of Safety When Transporting Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Am J Occup Ther. 2021 Sep 1;75(5):7505205010. doi: 10.5014/ajot.2021.041749.

Authors

Teresa Plummer¹, Missy Bryan², Katherine Dullaghan³, Abigail Harris⁴, Michaela Isenberg⁵, Jacqueline Marquez⁶, Lacy Rolling⁷, Autumn Triggs⁸

Affiliations

¹ Teresa Plummer, PhD, OTR/L, ATP, CEAS, CAPS, is Associate Professor, School of Occupational Therapy, Belmont University, Nashville, TN; [email protected].
² Missy Bryan, OTD, OTR/L, ATP, CPST, is Assistant Professor, School of Occupational Therapy, Belmont University, Nashville, TN.
³ Katherine Dullaghan, OTD, OTR/L, is Occupational Therapist, FOX Rehab, Richmond, VA. At the time of the study, Dullaghan was Doctoral Student, School of Occupational Therapy, Belmont University, Nashville, TN.
⁴ Abigail Harris, OTD, is Occupational Therapist, Select Physical Therapy, Nashville, TN. At the time of the study, Harris was Doctoral Student, School of Occupational Therapy, Belmont University, Nashville, TN.
⁵ Michaela Isenberg, OTD, is Occupational Therapist, Arlington Medical Center, Fort Worth, TX. At the time of the study, Isenberg was Doctoral Student, School of Occupational Therapy, Belmont University, Nashville, TN.
⁶ Jacqueline Marquez, OTD, is Occupational Therapist, Presbyterian Hospital-Rust Medical Center, Albuquerque, NM. At the time of the study, Marquez was Doctoral Student, School of Occupational Therapy, Belmont University, Nashville, TN.
⁷ Lacy Rolling, OTD, is Occupational Therapist, South Valley Post Acute Rehab Center, Denver, CO. At the time of the study, Rolling was Doctoral Student, School of Occupational Therapy, Belmont University, Nashville, TN.
⁸ Autumn Triggs, OTD, is Occupational Therapist, HCA at Tristar Skyline Medical Center, Nashville, TN. At the time of the study, Triggs was Doctoral Student, School of Occupational Therapy, Belmont University, Nashville, TN.

PMID: 34780642
DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2021.041749

Abstract

Importance: Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of unintentional deaths of children ages 1 and older, particularly children with health care needs.

Objective: To explore family caregivers' experiences and current practices while transporting children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Design: A concurrent nested mixed-methods approach was used to gain insight into caregiver experiences.

Setting: Participants completed an online Qualtrics survey.

Participants: A convenience sample of 54 caregivers of children with ASD from 17 U.S. states.

Results: Themes that emerged include sensory behaviors of children, education related to child passenger safety, and participation in the community. Statistically significant findings suggest a correlation between caregivers (n = 39) being less likely to participate in activities away from home if the child had attempted to elope (p = .013), displayed aggressive behaviors (p = .005), or demonstrated self-injurious behaviors (p = .001).

Conclusions and relevance: The findings suggest a correlation between caregivers limiting the distance traveled during vehicular transportation and behavioral safety concerns. If caregivers must limit travel, they may refrain from accessing the community and engaging in leisure pursuits. What This Article Adds: The findings suggest that therapists who treat children with ASD should be familiar with child passenger safety restraints, particularly for elopement.

MeSH terms

Autism Spectrum Disorder*
Caregivers
Child
Female
Humans
Infant
Parents
Perception
Pregnancy
Surveys and Questionnaires