Navigating health care systems for military-connected children with autism spectrum disorder: A qualitative study of military families experiencing mandatory relocation

Background: Most military families experience mandatory relocation, or posting, several times during the military career. For Canadian military families who must access provincial or territorial health care systems, maintaining reasonable continuity of care is a persistent issue. Such challenges may be amplified when a child in a military family has special needs within the health and educational systems. Objective: The purpose of this qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of Canadian Armed Forces families' experiences in navigating health care systems on behalf of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the context of mandatory relocation. Methods: Parents of children with ASD, where at least one parent serves in the Canadian Armed Forces and had faced military-related relocation, were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Results: Twelve participants represented 12 families and 15 children with ASD. Participants discussed two primary themes. (1) High mobility inherent in the military lifestyle can create disruptions and discontinuities to service, including delays in diagnosis or intervention, losses and gains in available services determined by the direction of posting, and the need to start health care access processes over again when relocating. (2) Navigating health systems for children with ASD creates personal stress and frustration related to relocating, and has career implications for both parents. Conclusions: Military-related relocation can create significant disruption in access to health and educational services for Canadian military families who have a child with ASD, and take a personal toll on these families.