Elsevier

Research in Developmental Disabilities

Volume 32, Issue 1, January–February 2011, Pages 306-311
Research in Developmental Disabilities

Investigation of raising burden of children with autism, physical disability and mental disability in China

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2010.10.003Get rights and content

Abstract

The family economic burden of raising autistic children, physical disabled children and mental disabled children were evaluated in China. 227 parents of children with autism, children with physical disability, children with mental disability and normal children were interviewed for children's costs, family income and economic assistance, etc. The medical cost and caring cost of disabled children were significantly more than those of normal children, and the education cost, clothes cost and amusement cost of disabled children were significantly less than those of normal children. Family income was only predicted by parents’ education level. Families of disabled children received more economic assistance than families of normal children except families of autistic children. More children the family had, less economic assistance the family acquired. Compared with normal children, the raising burden of children with disabilities were as follows: children with autism (19582.4 RMB per year), children with physical disability (16410.1 RMB per year), children with mental disability (6391.0 RMB per year). Families of autistic children, physical disabled children and mental disabled children have heavier raising burden than families of normal children, they need more help from many aspects.

Research highlights

▶ Families of physical disabled children and mental disabled children received more economic assistance than families of normal children, but families of autistic children did not. ▶ More children the family had, less economic assistance the family acquired. ▶ Compared with normal children, the raising burden of children with disabilities were as follows: children with autism (19582.4 RMB per year), children with physical disability (16410.1 RMB per year), children with mental disability (6391.0 RMB per year).

Section snippets

The investigation of raising burden of children with autism, physical disability and mental disability in China

The economic burden of raising children with disabilities is a problem in many countries. Study in South India (Kandamuthan & Kandamuthan, 2004) indicated that, the mean expenditure of the families with a severely disabled child was $254 per year, which is significantly higher than the corresponding expenditure of $181 per year of families with normal child. Of the disabled children, 80% were not getting any social security payments and 90% had no special concessions for medical and other

Participants

Two-hundred-fifty children including autistic children, physical disabled children, mental disabled children and normal children and their parents were recruited from three rehabilitation institution of Beijing, finally 227 children and their parents participated in this study.

Of the 227 children, 139 (61.2%) were boys, 88 (38.8%) were girls. Age range was 1–10 years, 70 (30.8%) were 0–3 years old, 131 (57.7%) were 4–6 years old, 26 (11.5%) were 7–10 years old. 82 (36.1%) were physical disabled

General information

Fathers education level: college or above 103 (45.4%), high middle school 86 (37.9%), low middle school or below 38 (16.7%); mothers education level: college or above 98 (43.2%), high middle school 87 (38.3%), low middle school or below 42 (18.5%). Fathers employment condition: employment 203 (89.4%), unemployment 24 (10.6%); mothers employment condition: employment 143 (63.0%), unemployment 84 (37.0%). Among the families of 227 children, 195 (85.9%) have one children, 30 (13.2%) have two

Discussion

This investigation indicated that the medical cost and caring cost of disabled children were significantly more than those of normal children, and the education cost, clothes cost and amusement cost of disabled children were significantly less than those of normal children. So disabled children enjoyed less than normal children, usually they were looked after or being seen by doctors while normal children were studying or playing. Apart from that, the education cost, medical cost, caring cost,

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