System and cost research issues in treatments for people with autistic disorders

Parents of children with autism and pervasive developmental disorder and educational and clinical practitioners providing services to them regularly confront a wide range of service selection and financial decisions that are not as yet effectively addressed by applied research. Relevant systems issues span a very broad range of concerns: (a) systems delivery models and issues (e.g., costs of services, implementation of intensive intervention, and teacher or therapist training), (b) how best to integrate treatments; (c) providing treatment to those with limited monetary resources: (d) cost and cost/benefit analyses; (e) how to educate adult psychiatrists (as well as other practitioners and personnel) regarding autism: and (f) gaps between research and practice.