Diversity/Family Factors Presentation

Diversity/Family Factors

Kaitlyn Neuman

Objective

To inform teachers working with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder about different factors that affect their overall diagnosis, treatment, and outcome

Bilingual Families

Background Information

• Many bilingual families are told to only speak one language in the home (usually English)
• Evidence suggests bilingual children with autism perform comparable to monolingual peers in:
• first words and phrases,
• vocabulary size, performance on standardized language tests
• severity of autism symptoms
• frequency of social initation
• degrees of responsiveness and attention to speech
• functional communication scores
• Many parents worry their child won't get the services the need/deserve if they don't speak English

Yu, B (2016). Bilingualism as conceptualized and bilingualism as lived: A critical examination of the monolingual socialization of a child with autism in a bilingual family, Journal of Autism Development Disord. 46, 424-435. DOI 10.1007/s10803-015-2625-0.

Guidelines

• Encourage parents to use their native language in the home (Yu, 2016)
• Speech-language interventions provided in the home language have been found to help children with ASD reach their goals
• Actively learn about the cultural norms and traditions of the group you are working with
• Take time to understand the diagnosis from the families point of view (Ennis-Cole, 2013)
• There may be shame, fear, or guild associated with the diagnosis

Socioeconomic Status

Background

• Individuals with a higher Socioeconomic Status (SES) are more likely to be identified under the category of Autism Spectrum Disorder (Nowell, 2015)
• Lower SES heightens the chance of a delayed diagnosis
• Access to services is not the primary reason for the correlation between low SES and later ASD diagnosis
• Maternal education
• Impacts whether or not the child gets a clinical and school setting diagnosis

Marital Status

Background

• Raising a child with autism alone has proven to be quite stressful (Freedman, 2011)
• Mothers tend to show a greater risk of depression and psychological distress
• Fathers tend to cope by becoming detached and distancing themselves from the family
• Many families choose to stay together for one reason or another
• Ensure they can provide financially for their child's needs
• To prevent the emotional turmoil that ultimately results

Guidelines

• Respect the parent's way of life (Burkett, 2017)
• When you respect their chosen way of life, the parents are more likely to be open with you

Military Families

Background

• Many challenges are present for military families with children with ASD (Davis, 2015)
• Inconsistency in care/interventions
• Changes in eligibility
• Access to appropriate programs
• Many families feel they are not able to receive the appropriate services because of time
• Parents feel schools will focus on the children who will be around for a longer period of time
• Lack of friend support for children with ASD
• 28% of families believe they received all the necessary supports for their child (Davis, 2016)

Guidelines

• Relocation and separation are hard on more than just the child and can cause increased levels of stress
• Take time to care for the whole family by helping them find additional services if necessary (mental health services, support groups)
• Be conscientious about timing of testing
• If the child just moved, his/her emotional state may make testing inaccurate

References

• Burkett,K., Morris, E., Anthony, J., Shambley-Ebron, D., & Manning-Courtney, P. (2017) Parenting African American Children With Autism: The Influence of Respect and Faith in Mother, Father, Single-, and Two-Parent Care. Journal of Transcultural Nursing., 28(5), 496–504. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659616662316
• Davis, J.M. & Finke, E. (2015). The Experience of Military Families with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders During Relocation and Separation, Journal of Autism Development Disord. 45,2019–2034. DOI 10.1007/s10803-015-2364-2.
• Davis, J.M., Finke, E., & Hickerson, B. (2016). Service Delivery Experiences and Intervention Needs of Military Families with Children with ASD, Journal of Autism Development Disord. 46,1748–1761. DOI 10.1007/s10803-016-2706-8
• Ennis-Cole, D., Durodoye, B.A., & Harris, H.L. (2013). The impact of culture on autism diagnosis and treatment: Considerations for counselors and other professionals. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families. 00(0), 1-9. DOI: 10.1177/1066480713476834
• Nowell, K.P., Brewton, C.M, Allain, E., & Mire, S.S. (2015). The Influence of Demographic Factors on the Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review and Call for Research, The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2(3), 300-309. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-015-0053-x
• Yu, B (2016). Bilingualism as conceptualized and bilingualism as lived: A critical examination of the monolingual socialization of a child with autism in a bilingual family, Journal of Autism Development Disord. 46, 424-435. DOI 10.1007/s10803-015-2625-0.

Picture References

• https://www.expatica.com/upload/casey/Mothertongues.jpg
• https://www.workflexibility.org/wp-content/uploads/bigstock-Military-family-reunited-on-a-169768235.jpg
• https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/images/uploads/SESEmpathy-small.jpg
• https://nflpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Marital-Status-630x315.jpg