Navigating Fragmented Pathways: Parents’ Experiences of Seeking Autism Assessment for Their Young Children and Accessing Support Services in Greece

Background: In systems where access to early childhood intervention is mediated through diagnosis, families may be required to navigate complex assessment and educational pathways before support becomes available. The aim of the present study was to investigate how parents in Greece experienced the process of seeking assessment, early support and educational provision for their young autistic children attending mainstream early childhood education settings. Methods: This qualitative study explored the experiences of 13 parents whose young autistic children were attending mainstream early childhood education settings in Greece. Data were generated through in-depth semi-structured interviews and were analyzed thematically. Results: Four interrelated themes were identified: assessment as a restrictive gateway to support, medicalized and fragmented support, conditional and uneven inclusion in early childhood education, and perceived loss and parental coping. The results showed that access to support was organized in ways that required parents to coordinate fragmented services, seek private provision, secure educational support through diagnostic and special education procedures, and manage emotional, financial and social pressures with limited formal guidance. Conclusions: Parents’ experiences of seeking assessment, early support and educational provision were shaped by systemic restrictions, service fragmentation and insufficient recognition of family needs. A more effective and equitable support system would require not only earlier and better-coordinated support but also forms of provision that respond to children’s and families’ needs without making access depend solely on diagnosis and eligibility procedures.