The document explores the challenges Latino and African American parents face in obtaining timely autism diagnoses and accessing services for their children. It emphasizes the need for improved provider education, community outreach, and navigation support to help families navigate the complicated service systems. Recommendations include leveraging community health workers and parent advocates to address disparities in autism awareness and services.

1. Autism Diagnoses and Access to Services: Latino
and African American Parents’ Perspectives
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A collaboration between the Autism Speaks Autism
Treatment Network at Children's Hospital Los Angeles
and the Southern California Clinical and Translational
Science Institute
Katrina Kubicek, Marisela Robles, Kathryn Smith,
Leslie Richards and Michele D. Kipke

2. Background
• Heath disparities continue to exist across many health domains
• One area that has more recently been identified is in the diagnosis
of ASD; Latino and African American children tend to receive
diagnoses of ASD later than White/Caucasian children
• Children of color are more likely to misdiagnosed, may present
different symptoms and/or receive fewer specialty services
• Early diagnosis and treatment of ASD are critical for improved
health and developemntal outcomes
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3. Study Design
• Qualitative focus to obtain context and full picture of parents’
experiences
• Designed to better understand the disparity in autism diagnoses
among people of color
• Study research questions:
– What is the process parents go through to receive their child’s first
diagnosis for autism spectrum disorder (ASD)?
– How do parents of children with ASD access services for their child?
– How do parents describe/characterize their experiences in accessing
services for their children?
• Worked with Regional Centers and other local providers to
outreach to families
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4. Outreach and Recruitment
• Worked with four
Regional Centers and 2
other organizations
• 105 parents expressed
interest in project
• Total of 56 parents (43
Latino and 13 African
American) participated in
10 focus groups
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Organization # of Focus Groups
Lanterman RC • 1 Latino parents of
teens
• 1 Latino Spanish
speaking
Westside RC • 1 Latino Spanish
speaking
• 1 African
American/Ethiopian
South Central RC • 2 Latino
(bilingual/monolingual)
• 1 African American
Eastern Los Angeles • 1 Latino bilingual
Fiesta Educativa • 1 Latino Spanish
speaking
Special Needs Network • 1 African American

5. Results: Process of Receiving Diagnosis
• Types of concerns parents have about child’s
development
– Delayed or loss of speech
– Organizing toys
– Late walker
– Rocking/spinning
• Common for children to have dual diagnoses (e.g.
Down’s, ADHD, NOS – not otherwise specified) and/or
wrong diagnoses
• Pediatrician reactions to concerns
– Almost universal descriptions of “not to worry”
• Need for “diagnosis” at both RC and schools
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6. Results: Characterization of the ASD
diagnosis experience & access to services
• Challenges in working with providers (e.g., language,
cultural barriers; limited knowledge)
• List of available services not provided – need to know
what to ask for
– Advocacy important for parents; legal representation suggested
• Use of other parents for assistance very common
• Identified a common perception that there are better
services based on geography
• Parents/families’ support and process of acceptance of
the diagnosis
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7. Implications/Recommendations
• Provider education (schools and pediatricians)
• Broader dissemination of autism related materials and
resources
– Parents know very little about autism prior to receiving a
diagnosis for their child
• Process of receiving a diagnosis is confusing – need to
streamline
• Parent navigators or similar model to assist parents
with this process
– Navigation need may be ongoing as children develop and
additional needs are identified
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8. Three Overarching Needs Identified
Earlier
Identification of
ASD and
increased access
to services
Parent Education
Assistance
Navigating
Complicated
Service System
Need for Training
on Parental
Advocacy
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Could this be
accomplished with a
promotora/community
health worker
intervention?

9. Use of a Promotora/Community Health
Worker Model
• Idea well received by both Latino and African American
parents
– Need to “speak our language” – this came from an African
American parent
• Need to be highly visible (e.g. clinics, schools, parks,
churches, WIC, media)
• Lots of training/education needed to:
– Understand different symptoms of ASD and breadth of spectrum
– Observe kids with ASD to understand behaviors
– Provide resources and referrals
– Provide workshops for parents (e.g., “Understanding autism”,
“how to deal with an autistic child”)
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10. Next Steps
• Investigating opportunities to adapt and test an intervention
delivered by promotoras/CHWs
– To what extent would adaptations be necessary for African American
families?
– Potential outreach locations are numerous
– Use of parent volunteers in Family Resource Centers?
• Outcomes for success are complicated
– Children diagnosed
– Services received
– Behavioral outcomes
– Parent satisfaction
– Others?
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11. Discussion Points
• Does such a model make sense given your experiences in the
community?
• Are there other needs for families that we have not identified?
• What training do parent volunteers receive at FRCs?
– Are there specific things that would be useful for them to know?
• How could promotoras/CHWs best coordinate with FRCs?
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12. Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the many people who were a part of this effort
including:
• Michele D. Kipke, PhD
• Katrina Kubicek, MA
• Martha Porras-Hernandez
• Leslie Richard, MD
• Marisela Robles, MS
• Mayra Rubio-Diaz
• Kathryn Smith, DrPH
• We would also like to thank the Autism parent Advisory Board from CHLA,
as well as the community organizations that made this work possible
including: East LA Regional Center, Fiesta Educativa, Lanterman Regional
Center, South Central LA Regional Center, Special Needs Network and the
Westside Regional Center
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