A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
“It Was Like Offering a Band-Aid for a Fracture”: Parents’ Experiences with Barriers to Accessing Services and Support for Their Neurodivergent Child in Finland
Authors: Kaittila, Anniina; Leinonen, Leena; Alin, Minna; Vornanen, Riitta; Kraav, Siiri-Liisi; Eriksson, Pia; Anis, Merja
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Publication year: 2025
Journal: Child & youth services
Journal name in source: Child & Youth Services
First page : 1-28
ISSN: 0145-935X
eISSN: 1545-2298
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/0145935X.2025.2449639
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1080/0145935x.2025.2449639
The aim of this study is to examine parents’ experiences with barriers in accessing services and support for their neurodivergent child in Finland through qualitative interviews. We approach the topic with Levesque’s Conceptual Framework for Healthcare Access (Citation2013), where it is acknowledged that barriers for help seeking and receiving services may take place in different stages of the process. Key barriers include the unstructured service system, the failure to offer opportunities for the child and the family to participate in designing support, and the professionals’ lack of knowledge about neurodiversity and its effects on the child’s and family’s lives.
Funding information in the publication:
This work was supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (Finland).