Cultural Factors in Late Diagnosis of Autism in Latino Children

Qualitative data inform the culturally competent pediatrician — Lesson #1: Don't assume that Latino parents have heard of autism.

Latino children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are diagnosed later than white non-Latino children. To understand cultural barriers to timely recognition of ASD in the Latino community, investigators recruited thirty parents of typically developing Latino children living in an urban community to participate in a qualitative study.

Five focus groups (2 conducted in English; 3 in Spanish) and four individual interviews (1 in English and 3 in Spanish) were conducted to assess participants' responses to four video vignettes that show a Latina mother talking with a friend about her 3-year-old son's behavior, spanning the time from when she becomes concerned to the time he receives a diagnosis of ASD. Participants were asked how they would rea…

Reviewing Author

Martin T. Stein, MD

Disclosures

Consultant / Advisory boardPearson Neuroscience Advisory Board

Speaker’s bureauAmerican Academy of Pediatrics

RoyaltiesElsevier, Inc.

Editorial boardsJournal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics