Perry, AdrienneHo, Hilda Sze Wing2021-11-152021-11-152021-022021-11-15http://hdl.handle.net/10315/38642Although many different types of autism treatments exist, very few are grounded in evidence. Interventions based on applied behaviour analysis (ABA) have received substantial evidence supporting their efficacy and community effectiveness and are considered to be best practice for children with autism. Despite this, a gap exists in the implementation and usage of these services in many parts of the world, including Taiwan. Through a mixed methods research design consisting of two phases, this dissertation explored factors that contribute to the selection or avoidance of ABA-based intervention. In phase 1, a survey methodology was used to examine the knowledge and attitudes about autism and ABA-based services, as well as to explore the service utilization patterns of parents of children with autism in Taiwan. In phase 2, semi-structured interviews were conducted with key informants (i.e., parents who had previously selected or were currently using ABA-based interventions, educators and ABA service providers) to clarify and elaborate on the quantitative results obtained in phase 1. The findings from this dissertation indicate that level of knowledge about ABA was significantly related to the selection of ABA-based services, over and above other parent characteristics (i.e., parent attitudes toward ABA and parent knowledge about autism) and child characteristics (i.e., autism severity, maladaptive behaviour, adaptive behaviour, and diagnostic status). Specific factors contributing to this knowledge gap were identified at the parent level, at the intervention level, and at the systems level. The clinical and policy implications are described in this dissertation with respect to each of the barriers identified.Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.Developmental psychologyElectronic Thesis or Dissertation2021-11-15Autism spectrum disorderApplied behaviour analysisInterventionEvidence-based treatmentParent decision-makingTaiwanChineseAutismABAImplementation gap