Project Description:
This two-year urban, multi-method ethnographic study examines disparities in diagnostic processes and service delivery related to acquisition of ASDs diagnosis, and communication during clinical encounters for a cohort of African American children living in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. We examine heterogeneity in ASDs as a socio-culturally based phenomenon in relation to three domains: 1) patterns of communication among African American caregivers and practitioners during clinical encounters that are vital for developing partnerships and that are vulnerable to misunderstanding; 2) structural barriers to and opportunities for African American children receiving timely and accurate diagnosis and appropriate services; and 3) African American caregivers? knowledge about ASDs and the social networks relevant to information about diagnostic evaluations, interventions and services. We propose a novel combination of methods, urban ethnography and social networks analysis to follow a cohort of African American children diagnosed with ASDs, their primary caregivers and the practitioners who serve them, to document the children's? pathways to an ASDs diagnosis and services.
Keyword(s):
autism, access to services
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees, Performing Research or Evaluation
Area of Emphasis
Health-Related Activities, Other - Cultural Diversity
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Children/Adolescents with Disabilities/SHCN
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Specific Groups
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Single-County
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
