FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 2.
Child frequency and involvement in activity as reported by parents
| Frequency | Involvement | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Na | Mean (SE)b | N | Mean (SE) | |
| Community | ||||
| Neighbourhood outings | 32 | 4.50 (0.30) | 30 | 3.23 (0.25) |
| Community events | 32 | 2.00 (0.32) | 27 | 2.44 (0.24) |
| Organized physical activity | 31 | 2.77 (0.49) | 19 | 3.32 (0.41) |
| Unstructured physical activity | 32 | 3.91 (0.46) | 28 | 3.18 (0.25) |
| Classes and lessons | 32 | 0.56 (0.28) | 10 | 2.40 (0.54) |
| Organizations, groups, clubs and volunteer or leadership activities | 32 | 1.25 (0.39) | 12 | 3.00 (0.48) |
| Religious or spiritual gatherings | 32 | 0.72 (0.30) | 10 | 2.60 (0.43) |
| Getting together with other children in the community | 32 | 2.06 (0.43) | 18 | 3.94 (0.31) |
| Working for pay | 32 | 1.00 (0.37) | 10 | 2.30 (0.45) |
| Overnight visits or trips | 32 | 1.09 (0.23) | 18 | 3.61 (0.30) |
| Home | ||||
| Computer/video games | 32 | 6.53 (0.18) | 31 | 4.48 (0.20) |
| Indoor play and games | 32 | 4.09 (0.49) | 27 | 2.96 (0.29) |
| Arts, crafts, music and hobbies | 32 | 4.56 (0.46) | 29 | 3.24 (0.29) |
| Watching TV, videos and DVDs | 32 | 6.22 (0.30) | 31 | 4.19 (0.19) |
| Getting together with other people | 32 | 5.5 (0.34) | 30 | 3.07 (0.19) |
| Socializing using technology | 32 | 3.94 (0.51) | 28 | 3.11 (0.29) |
| Household chores | 32 | 4.34 (0.48) | 30 | 2.30 (0.21) |
| Personal care management | 32 | 6.41 (0.27) | 30 | 3.30 (0.24) |
| School preparation | 32 | 4.78 (0.52) | 28 | 2.50 (0.23) |
| Homework | 32 | 4.72 (0.49) | 27 | 2.59 (0.25) |
| School | ||||
| Participate in classroom activities | 32 | 5.56 (0.43) | 29 | 3.28 (0.19) |
| Field trips and school events | 31 | 2.23 (0.33) | 29 | 3.41 (0.26) |
| School teams, clubs and organizations | 32 | 1.44 (0.43) | 16 | 2.69 (0.41) |
| Getting together with peers outside of class | 32 | 4.00 (0.48) | 27 | 3.26 (0.26) |
| Special roles at school | 32 | 1.09 (0.36) | 15 | 2.53 (0.47) |
Socio-demographic and clinical factors
| Factor | N (%) |
|---|---|
| Age of child (mean [SD]) years | 11.8 (3.7) |
| Age of diagnosis, years | |
| Mean [SD] | 5.8 (3.4) |
| Minimum | 1 |
| Maximum | 15 |
| Child’s gender | |
| Male | 30 (93.8) |
| Female | 2 (6.3) |
| Age of participant (mean [SD]) years | 42.5 (6.4) |
| Relationship to child | |
| Mother | 29 (90.6) |
| Father | 3 (9.4) |
| Relationship status | |
| Married | 21 (65.6) |
| Divorced | 2 (6.3) |
| Widowed | 1 (3.1) |
| Separated | 7 (21.9) |
| Member of unmarried couple | 1 (3.1) |
| Family income | |
| $5,000-$24,999 | 5 (15.6) |
| $25,000-$49,999 | 6 (18.8) |
| $50,000-$74,999 | 4 (12.5) |
| $75,000-$99,999 | 3 (9.4) |
| $100,000-$149,999 | 5 (15.6) |
| $150,000+ | 9 (28.1) |
| Employment status | |
| Employed full time | 5 (15.6 |
| Employed part time | 9 (28.1) |
| Employed casually | 2 (6.3) |
| Self-employed | 5 (15.6) |
| Home-maker/caregiver | 8 (25.0) |
| Student | 1 (3.1) |
| Missing values | 2 (6.3) |
| Level of education | |
| Year | 2 (6.3) |
| High school | 7 (21.9) |
| TAFE | 9 (28.1) |
| Trade qualification | 4 (12.5) |
| Bachelor’s degree | 8 (25.0) |
| Master/doctorate | 2 (6.3) |
| Partner’s level of education | |
| Year 10 | 5 (15.6) |
| High school | 1 (3.1) |
| TAFE | 2 (6.3) |
| Trade qualification | 9 (28.1) |
| Bachelor’s degree | 3 (9.4) |
| Masters/doctorate | 3 (9.4) |
| Missing/unanswered | 9 (28.1) |
| Regionality | |
| Inner regional | 21 (65.6) |
| Outer regional | 8 (25.0) |
| Remote | 3 (9.4) |
| Very remote | 0 (0.0) |
| Home type | |
| Urban house | 27 (84.4) |
| Small farm | 5 (15.6) |
| Number of adults in the household | |
| 1 | 8 (25.0) |
| 2 | 15 (46.9) |
| 3 | 7 (21.9) |
| 4 or more | 2 (6.3) |
| Number of children in the household | |
| 1 | 4 (12.5) |
| 2 | 20 (62.5) |
| 3 | 5 (15.6) |
| 4 | 3 (9.4) |
Diagnosis and impact of participant’s children
| Impact | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis | N (%) | None | Minor | Moderate | Major |
| Autism Spectrum Disorder | |||||
| Autistic Disorder | 13 (40.6) | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| High Functioning Autism | 14 (43.8)a | 0 | 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Asperger’s Syndrome | 4 (12.5)a | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| PDDNOS | 3 (9.4) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Comorbidities | |||||
| Cognitive/intellectual | 11 (34.4) | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Psychological/mental health | 12 (37.5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Physical/other | 15 (50.0) | 4 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
Secondary analysis comparing outcomes to reference sample
| Current sample | Reference sampleb | Significance | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frequency Mean (SDa) | Involvement Mean (SD) | Frequency Mean (SD) | Involvement Mean (SD) | Frequency p | Involvement p | |
| Community | ||||||
| Neighbourhood outings | 4.50 (1.70) | 3.23 (1.38) | 4.83 (1.48) | 3.3 (1.22) | 0.32 | 0.80 |
| Community events | 2.00 (1.80) | 2.44 (1.25) | 1.91 (1.45) | 3 (1.14) | 0.79 | 0.04* |
| Organized physical activity | 2.77 (2.72) | 3.32 (1.77) | 2.98 (2.55) | 3.52 (1.24) | 0.70 | 0.64 |
| Unstructured physical activity | 3.91 (2.62) | 3.18 (1.33) | 4.66 (1.88) | 3.61 (1.08) | 1.14 | 0.12 |
| Classes and lessons | 0.56 (1.61) | 2.40 (1.71) | 1.47 (2.25) | 3.72 (1.28) | 0.01* | 0.04* |
| Organizations, groups, clubs and volunteer or leadership activities | 1.25 (2.18) | 3.00 (1.65) | 0.88 (1.84) | 3.17 (1.42) | 0.38 | 0.74 |
| Religious or spiritual gatherings | 0.72 (1.69) | 2.60 (1.35) | 1.36 (2.04) | 2.47 (1.28) | 0.07 | 0.77 |
| Getting together with other children in the community | 2.06 (2.42) | 3.94 (1.30) | 2.62 (1.98) | 3.46 (1.09) | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| Working for pay | 1.00 (2.09) | 2.30 (1.42) | 1.31 (2.25) | 2.44 (1.13) | 0.46 | 0.77 |
| Overnight visits or trips | 1.09 (1.30) | 3.61 (1.29) | 1.22 (1.27) | 3.68 (1.18) | 0.61 | 0.83 |
| Home | ||||||
| Computer/video games | 6.53 (1.02) | 4.48 (1.09) | 6.42 (1.49) | 4.85 (0.5) | 0.62 | 0.07 |
| Indoor play and games | 4.09 (2.79) | 2.96 (1.51) | 5.15 (2) | 3.77 (1.21) | 0.05* | 0.01* |
| Arts, crafts, music and hobbies | 4.56 (2.61) | 3.24 (1.55) | 5.61 (1.6) | 3.83 (1.13) | 0.04* | 0.06 |
| Watching TV, videos and DVDs | 6.22 (1.70) | 4.19 (1.05) | 6.62 (0.77) | 4.37 (0.9) | 0.20 | 0.38 |
| Getting together with other people | 5.5 (1.95) | 3.07 (1.05) | 6 (1.44) | 3.07 (1.17) | 0.18 | 1.0 |
| Socializing using technology | 3.94 (2.91) | 3.11 (1.52) | 3.85 (2.54) | 3.37 (1.39) | 0.87 | 0.41 |
| Household chores | 4.34 (2.74) | 2.30 (1.15) | 5.45 (1.99) | 2.47 (1.29) | 0.037* | 0.48 |
| Personal care management | 6.41 (1.52) | 3.30 (1.29) | 6.88 (0.73) | 3.02 (1.27) | 0.10 | 0.29 |
| School preparation | 4.78 (2.92) | 2.50 (1.23) | 5.52 (2.41) | 2.39 (1.45) | 0.19 | 0.68 |
| Homework | 4.72 (2.76) | 2.59 (1.31) | 5.53 (2.23) | 2.52 (1.22) | 0.13 | 0.80 |
| School | ||||||
| Participate in classroom activities | 5.56 (2.42) | 3.28 (1.00) | 6.55 (1.4) | 3.15 (0.98) | 0.03* | 0.53 |
| Field trips and school events | 2.23 (1.84) | 3.41 (1.40) | 2.09 (1.32) | 3.62 (1.01) | 0.69 | 0.45 |
| School teams, clubs and organizations | 1.44 (2.41) | 2.69 (1.62) | 2.5 (2.46) | 3.33 (1.29) | 0.03* | 0.15 |
| Getting together with peers outside of class | 4.00 (2.70) | 3.26 (1.38) | 5.37 (2.46) | 3.37 (1.28) | 0.01* | 0.71 |
| Special roles at school | 1.09 (2.04) | 2.53 (1.81) | 0.76 (1.7) | 2.74 (1.45) | 0.40 | 0.67 |
Parent/care-giver desire for change in participation, overall, frequency and involvement
| Overall change | Frequency | Involvement | Variety | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (%) | Reduce (%) | Increase (%) | Reduce (%) | Increase (%) | Increase (%) | |
| Community | ||||||
| Neighbourhood outings | 59.4 | 0 | 43.8 | 0 | 25 | 3.1 |
| Community events | 75 | 0 | 37.5 | 0 | 34.4 | 12.5 |
| Organized physical activity | 64.5 | 0 | 32.3 | 0 | 22.6 | 16.1 |
| Unstructured physical activity | 62.5 | 0 | 34.4 | 0 | 28.1 | 12.5 |
| Classes and lessons | 75 | 0 | 31.3 | 0 | 15.6 | 12.5 |
| Organizations, groups, clubs and volunteer or leadership activities | 65.6 | 0 | 21.9 | 0 | 18.8 | 9.4 |
| Religious or spiritual gatherings | 46.9 | 0 | 15.6 | 0 | 9.4 | 6.3 |
| Getting together with other children in the community | 68.8 | 0 | 43.8 | 0 | 15.6 | 3.1 |
| Working for pay | 62.5 | 0 | 34.4 | 0 | 9.4 | 6.3 |
| Overnight visits or trips | 51.6 | 0 | 25.8 | 00 | 9.7 | 6.5 |
| Home | ||||||
| Computer/video games | 65.6 | 34.4 | 3.1 | 12.5 | 0 | 25 |
| Indoor play and games | 75 | 0 | 43.8 | 0 | 15.6 | 21.9 |
| Arts, crafts, music and hobbies | 62.5 | 0 | 3.7 | 0 | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Watching TV, videos and DVDs | 56.3 | 34.4 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 9.4 |
| Getting together with other people | 78.1 | 3.1 | 59.4 | 3.1 | 25 | 12.5 |
| Socializing using technology | 62.5 | 6.3 | 28.1 | 0 | 25 | 3.1 |
| Household chores | 81.3 | 0 | 56.3 | 0 | 34.4 | 9.4 |
| Personal care management | 68.8 | 0 | 31.3 | 3.1 | 37.5 | 3.1 |
| School preparation | 81.3 | 6.3 | 37.5 | 0 | 40.6 | 6.3 |
| Homework | 75 | 0 | 37.5 | 0 | 34.4 | 9.4 |
| School | ||||||
| Participate in classroom activities | 75 | 3.1 | 25.0 | 0 | 43.8 | 6.3 |
| Field trips and school events | 59.4 | 0 | 31.3 | 0 | 31.3 | 9.4 |
| School teams, clubs and organizations | 71.9 | 0 | 25.0 | 0 | 25 | 15.6 |
| Getting together with peers outside of class | 65.6 | 3.1 | 37.5 | 0 | 21.9 | 9.4 |
| Special roles at school | 71.9 | 0 | 28.1 | 0 | 15.6 | 15.6 |