Affiliations 

  • 1 Universiti Putra Malaysia
MyJurnal

Abstract

Introduction: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a public health concern globally, characterized by impairments in cognitive process, social functioning, communication skills, behaviours and interests. These problems require mul-tidisciplinary approach through an early intervention programme (EIP) which is remarkably expensive. To date, the knowledge of EIP costs for ASD children in Malaysia remains unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the annual average EIP costs for ASD children from the societal perspective (total average costs, education costs, treatment costs, and living costs), and its contributing factors. Methods: A cross-sectional cost analysis study using simple random sampling according to proportion was conducted among 280 parents of ASD children receiving EIP services in Klang Valley. The data was collected using interview-based questionnaire and proforma. The Ac-tivity-based Costing Technique and Microsoft Excel 2016 were used to estimate the total annual average EIP costs, education costs, treatment costs, and living costs per ASD child. The association between the total annual average EIP costs and its contributing factors were carried out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. Results: The total annual average EIP costs, education costs, treatment costs, and living costs per ASD child were estimated at RM15,158; RM3,896; RM1,948; and RM4,409 respectively. There was a significant association (p