Cutbacks in autism services are leading to increased stress levels among parents, a new study indicates.

According to preliminary findings by NUI Galway's Irish Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Research (ICAN), cutbacks are having a ‘real and measurable effect' on the wellbeing of parents.

"Our research is highlighting the negative impacts that cutbacks and inadequate service provision may have, not only on child outcomes, but also on the health and wellbeing of the parents," explained ICAN director, Dr Geraldine Leader.

The study included 140 mothers and fathers of children with autism, as well as the parents of children not affected by the condition.

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a biological disorder of the brain that impairs communication and social skills. Signs can include an absence of eye contact, apparent aloofness, avoidance of physical contact even with family, difficulty dealing with interruptions to routine and a lack of interest in other children and what they are doing.

The study set out to assess stress levels among the parents of children with autism using a combination of methods, including questionnaires, diaries and 24-hour blood pressure monitoring. Participants were also tested for the stress hormone, cortisol.

"We looked for the physical flags of stress, such as high blood pressure. Perhaps none too surprisingly, parents of children of autism experience elevated levels of stress compared to parents of typically developing children. However, we were also able to show a correlation between increased stress among parents of children with autism who have less access to services and interventions," Dr Leader explained.

For example, if a child required a number of services, such as respite and speech and language therapy, but was not receiving them, the parents were found to have higher stress levels and more depressive symptoms. This was also linked with high blood pressure among mothers.

The study also noted that sleep was important. If a child had sleep problems and this affected the parents' quality of sleep, they were more likely to suffer with stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms. This was also linked to maternal high blood pressure.

Details of these findings are due to be presented at a major conference in NUI Galway next week.