Sitting on the Sidelines: Disparities in Social, Recreational, and Community Participation Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Alexa C. Budavari, Elise T. Pas, Gazi F. Azad, Heather E. Volk

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Participation in extracurricular activities and community involvement during secondary school is important for the healthy social, emotional, mental, and physical development of adolescents, especially those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study utilized three waves of data (2016, 2017, and 2018) from the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) to examine disparities in extracurricular participation among 12- to 17-year old adolescents with ASD. Across the three waves, data demonstrate clear sociodemographic disparities among adolescents with ASD. These disparities were more evident in adolescents with caregivers that had less education and lower household income, as well as males. These disparities suggest a continued need for targeted interventions to promote engagement among adolescents with ASD to narrow this social disparity gap.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3399-3412
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Volume52
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2022

Keywords

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Community involvement
  • Extracurricular participation
  • National Survey of Children’s Health
  • Sociodemographic disparities

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology

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