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treatments for autism as well as doubts about their role in making treatment recommendations.8 Persons with disabilities reported that healthcare providers had inadequate skills to meet their needs, and sometimes they were denied care probably due to difficulties to make treatment decisions. Talking about communication difficulties some parents have reported the lack of involvement/participation in the choice of treatment options for their child, while others mentioned the fact that their child’s healthcare provider/physician made only general recommendations or referrals. In order to foster more effective communication between families and healthcare providers/ pediatricians tools such as decision making and practice guidelines should be made available for used by the healthcare providers.47 It is vital for the patient/family and physician to work together and arrive at a treatment plan for their child (shared decision-making). This will obviously enhance healthcare provider-patient/family communication and partnership resulting in quality patient care, compliance and good treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction. Concerning the lack of knowledge on the part of the healthcare provider, knowledge gaps about the treatment of autism and available community resources have reported by both parents and physicians. Also, uncertainty about the pediatrician’s role regarding the care of autism has be reported. With respect to the management, pediatrician are generally not so sure about the treatment options as such they are uncomfortable discussing autism related treatments. As a result, parents miss the opportunity to discuss benefits and risks of treatment options.47 Therefore, primary healthcare providers need to be provided with treatment/ care plans for autism and other developmental disabilities and available resources. These include such tools as the Autism Toolkit and clinical practice guidelines developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). INFLEXIBLE POLICIES AND PROHIBITIVE COST The policy put in place regarding healthcare and disabilities particularly autism may pose a barrier to healthcare service utilization 8 Review | Volume 7 | Number 1| Pediatr Neonatal Nurs Open J. 2022; 8(1): 1-13. doi: 10.17140/PNNOJ-8-134 Eta VEA by this special group. For instance, the assumption that everyone might be able to complete hospital forms unaided, undress and transfer to high examination tables without assistance, and communicate normally may limit full access of hospital facilities by persons with disabilities needing healthcare. Also, a study conducted by Zhang et al21 reported gaps in access and utilization of healthcare services whereby children with private health insurance had access to less services with more out of pocket expenses compared to children with public insurance coverage. These expenses are mostly with respect to outpatient services and prescription medications for managing various health conditions including dental care. According to Buescher et al48 many persons with disabilities are unable to access health services due to cost. Generally, individuals with disabilities in less developed countries do not get the much-needed healthcare due to the cost of transportation and healthcare services. SOCIAL ASSUMPTIONS AND PREJUDICES Generally, it is assumed that persons with developmental disabilities have greater access to healthcare but which is not the case. Literature reveals that 68% of participants in a multinational study assumed that individuals with intellectual disabilities had the same or even better healthcare compared to typically developing children. Meanwhile, persons with developmental disabilities do not receive the needed healthcare easily or on time, and may not receive suitable and adequate healthcare because policy makers turn to neglect or underestimate their health needs.46 Also, there exist racial differences in the utilization rates of healthcare services among people with disabilities. Because of cultural differences between the Western world and African there may be conflicting ideas between modern service delivery models and traditional beliefs regarding the diagnosis and treatment of autism and its
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