ERIC Number: EJ1481214
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Sep
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: EISSN-1573-3432
Available Date: 2024-06-05
'If I Don't Have My Support Worker in the Room…': A Multi-Perspective Mixed Methods Study of Remote Daily Living Support for Neurodivergent Young Adults
Maria Löthberg1; Eda Wirström1,2; Jenny Meyer1,5; Sonya Girdler1,4; Sven Bölte1,3,4; Ulf Jonsson1,3,5
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v55 n9 p3140-3153 2025
Purpose: Information technology is increasingly being employed for providing support and interventions in disability and health service contexts. This study aimed to investigate service users' and support workers' perspectives on remote support in daily living for young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions. Methods: Using a convergent mixed methods approach, we integrated qualitative and quantitative findings from survey responses and focus groups. Young service users (aged 18 to 29) diagnosed with ADHD and/or autism (n = 35) and support workers (n = 64) from four municipalities in Sweden responded to a survey designed to tap into their lived experiences and views. The topic was explored further in focus groups with young service users (n = 7) and support workers (n = 3). Open-ended survey questions were analyzed using qualitative content analyses and complemented with information from the focus groups, while closed survey questions were summarized descriptively. Inferences were merged in a joint display. Results: While participants reported having access to digital devices, service routines for remote contact were not in place. Service users were more hesitant than support workers in endorsing remote support, expressing concerns that this approach would be inferior to in-person support (e.g., owing to miscommunications and insufficient social and emotional contact). Still, both groups expressed that remote contact may at times be a beneficial complement to in-person meetings, increasing accessibility and user choice. Conclusion: Service providers planning to implement remote support elements should explore the demand, acceptability, and organizational readiness for this approach. Moving forward, user engagement will be crucial to meet individual preferences, values, and needs.
Descriptors: Independent Living, Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Foreign Countries, Social Services, Housing
Springer. Available from: Springer Nature. One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, NY 10004. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-460-1700; e-mail: customerservice@springernature.com; Web site: https://link.springer.com/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sweden
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Stockholm, Sweden; 2Municipality of Uppsala, Department of Social Psychiatry and Individual Support, Uppsala, Sweden; 3Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm, Sweden; 4Curtin University, Curtin Autism Research Group, Curtin School of Allied Health, Perth, Australia; 5Uppsala University, Department of Medical Sciences, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Uppsala, Sweden

Peer reviewed
Direct link
