Addressing Racial Disparities in Autism Diagnosis and Treatment: Translating Peer-to-Peer Support Into a Clinical Setting

Detailed Summary

There is not a lot of research focusing on Black and African American families raising young children with developmental delays. While the investigators know that early intervention helps children and their families, Black children with developmental delays are less likely to access such services. The causes for these racial disparities are largely unknown. Researchers have recommended caregiver support programming while on waitlists to improve caregiver-provider interactions and caregiver knowledge of the diagnostic process and developmental delays. Once a child is referred to a clinic for developmental concerns, long appointment waitlists contribute to further delays in timely diagnosis and treatment, as well as parental distress. Support programs for waitlisted families can begin to address these challenges. In this study, the investigators will examine a program called Parents Taking Action with families on a waitlist for a specialty developmental evaluation. The investigators will study if the program is feasible in this setting, if participants like the program, and if child and parent outcomes improve after participants have completed the program.

Study Details

Timeline

Interventions