Parental Concerns of Underserved Young Children at Risk for Autism.

Publication/Presentation Date

1-1-2020

Abstract

Early identification of children at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critical to promote optimal outcomes. However disparities in early recognition of ASD based on race, ethnicity, income, and English proficiency persist. Little is known regarding how parents from these groups describe concerns. The study aim was to understand how parents of children from underserved backgrounds at developmental risk describe concerns about child development and behavior. To address this gap, developmental concerns of 204 parents of children at-risk for ASD from underserved communities were analyzed. In this sample, the number and type of parental concerns differed based on parent primary language but not the presence of ASD or ethnicity. Parents whose primary language was Spanish were less likely to express concerns about their child's development or to express ASD-specific concerns. These findings have implications for how clinicians elicit and interpret developmental concerns from underserved families.

Volume

31

Issue

2

First Page

742

Last Page

755

ISSN

1548-6869

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Pediatrics

PubMedID

33410805

Department(s)

Department of Pediatrics

Document Type

Article

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