RESUMO
Purpose: To investigate caregivers' perspective on barriers to dental care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Methods: A cross-sectional survey assessing perceived barriers to dental care was administered to 46 caregivers who had a child with ASD (study group) and 37 who had children without ASD (control group) but with chronic health issues.
Results: The barriers most frequently reported in the study group were difficulty finding a dentist who would treat their child (32 percent) and the child's uncooperative behavior (39 percent). A significantly higher number of caregivers of children with ASD agreed that their child was uncooperative and that such behavior was a barrier to finding care (chi-square=15.22, P =0.0001). The number of barriers reported by caregivers of children with ASD was greater than that reported by the other caregivers. Caregivers of children with severe ASD perceived having the most barriers to care.
Conclusion: There are many barriers faced by caregivers in getting dental treatment for their children with ASD. Understanding the difficulty caregivers have in securing dental care for their children with ASD may help dentists and agencies work to improve access.
