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Study identifies ABA disparity for autistic youths
Rural youths under Medicaid are given less time
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By Peter Clark (Senior Editor, Autism Info Center) Tuesday 9th December 2025 |
A report published by Sage investigated whether disparities exist in the amount of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy received by Medicaid-enrolled autistic youth.
Analyzing billing records for 1,028 children in Michigan, researchers examined if factors like race, ethnicity, sex, or living in a rural area affected the number of service hours provided.
The study found that while younger children correctly received more therapy hours than older youth, there were no significant differences in service amounts based on race, ethnicity, or sex.
This suggests that the Medicaid system effectively mitigates racial disparities for these specific services.
However, a significant geographic disparity was discovered: children in rural areas received, on average, 10.86 fewer hours of ABA therapy per month compared to those in non-rural areas.
The authors conclude that while Medicaid coverage supports equitable access across racial groups, substantial barriers remain for rural families.
They recommend that policymakers urgently address these geographic gaps by incentivizing providers to work in rural locations and expanding telehealth options to ensure all children receive necessary support regardless of where they live.
Source: Sage Journals (USA)
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/13623613251392495
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