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Latino parents' perspectives on barriers to autism diagnosis.

ABSTRACT: Latino children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) at older ages and at the point of more severe symptoms. We sought to qualitatively describe community, family, and health care system barriers to ASD diagnosis in Latino children.Five focus groups and 4 qualitative interviews were conducted with 33 parents of Latino children previously diagnosed with an ASD. Participants described Latino community perceptions of autism and barriers they experienced during the diagnostic process. Sessions were audiorecorded and transcribed. Transcripts were coded by 2 researchers, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis.Parents reported low levels of ASD information and high levels of mental health and disability stigma in the Latino community. Parents had poor access to care as a result of poverty, limited English proficiency, and lack of empowerment to take advantage of services. Providers sometimes dismissed parents' concerns. The ASD diagnostic process itself was slow, inconvenient, confusing, and uncomfortable for the child. These factors led many parents to normalize their child's early behaviors, deny that a problem existed, and lose trust in the medical system.Additional educational outreach to Latino families, destigmatization of ASD, streamlining the ASD diagnostic process, and providing additional support to Latino parents of at-risk children may decrease delays in ASD diagnosis among Latino children.

SUBMITTER: Zuckerman KE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4006363 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May-Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Latino parents' perspectives on barriers to autism diagnosis.

Zuckerman Katharine E KE Sinche Brianna B Mejia Angie A Cobian Martiza M Becker Thomas T Nicolaidis Christina C

Academic pediatrics 20140501 3

<h4>Objective</h4>Latino children are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) at older ages and at the point of more severe symptoms. We sought to qualitatively describe community, family, and health care system barriers to ASD diagnosis in Latino children.<h4>Methods</h4>Five focus groups and 4 qualitative interviews were conducted with 33 parents of Latino children previously diagnosed with an ASD. Participants described Latino community perceptions of autism and barriers they experien ...[more]

PMID: 24767783

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Project description:BackgroundMalawi has made progress in increasing its overall modern contraceptive prevalence rate since 2000, resulting in a dramatic reduction in its total fertility rate. However, youth, 15-24 years, have not had the same successes. Teenage pregnancies are on the rise and little progress has been made in reducing unmet need for family planning among youth. With two-thirds of the population under the age of 25 and with Malawi's rapid population growth, reducing unmet need for family planning among youth remains a priority for the government's reproductive health agenda. To further explore this situation, we conducted a qualitative study to explore the perspectives of youth and adults about the drivers and barriers to youth accessing family planning in Malawi and their ideas to improve services.MethodsWe conducted 34 focus group discussions with youth aged 15-24 and parents or legal guardians of female youth in 3 districts in Malawi. Focus groups were translated and transcribed. Data was input into Dedoose and analyzed using a thematic framework to identify broader patterns and themes.ResultsYouth participants felt motivated to use family planning to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Females focused on the consequences of unplanned pregnancies and believed family planning services were targeted primarily at them, while males thought family planning services targeted males and females equally. Barriers to youth accessing family planning included contraception misconceptions, the costs of family planning services, and negative attitudes. Parents had mixed views on family planning. While many parents acknowledged they could play a role in supporting youth, most said they are reluctant to support youth using family planning. Participants said improving counseling services, integrating family planning services and education within school curricula, and utilizing youth clubs could improve family planning services for youth.ConclusionsPolicy makers and program implementers should consider the diverse preferences among youth and parents and continue seeking their input when designing policies and programs. Youth clubs and school-based services were among the most common suggestions. However, the effectiveness of youth clubs and school-based initiatives to increase contraceptive use among youth in Malawi is not clear.

Dataset Information

Latino parents' perspectives on barriers to autism diagnosis.

Publications

Latino parents' perspectives on barriers to autism diagnosis.

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