Caregiver Perspectives on Unintentional Injury Risk in Children With an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Unintentional injury risk research for children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently limited. This article presents findings from a two-phase investigation of caregiver perspectives regarding unintentional injury risk in children with an ASD. Results indicate that children with an ASD exhibit elevated rates of risk-taking behaviors compared with peers, which increases the likelihood of more frequent and severe injuries. In addition, although ASD symptom severity positively correlated with risk-taking behavior and frequency of injury, children with an ASD were rarely rated as high risks for injury by caregivers. Implications are discussed in the context of pediatric health service provision. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.