Designing a Culturally Grounded Psychoeducational Intervention for Spanish-Speaking Parents of Children with ASD

Abstract

The current dissertation focuses on identifying the needs and barriers toward diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) shared by Spanish-speaking parents. Previous researchers have found that Hispanic children are diagnosed significantly later than their peers. Once diagnosed, Hispanic children are also less likely to receive the interventions they need. The current study seeks to better understand the factors affecting the diagnosis and treatment of Hispanic children with ASD via three studies.

The first study was a systematic literature review. This literature review included sixteen studies aimed at understanding the barriers toward diagnosis and treatment for Spanish-speaking parents of children with ASD. The studies also examined the needs of these families.

The second study took a qualitative approach to better understand the lived experiences of the assessment and treatment process from the perspective of Spanish-speaking mothers in Texas. The study used a phenomenological qualitative approach with interpretative ontology to understand the barriers toward assessment and the psychoeducational needs for Spanish-speaking parents. Mothers shared that cultural factors (i.e., language, provider warmth), time, and knowledge of ASD all hindered the assessment process. Mothers also shared that they received no support for sharing about the diagnosis with their families.

The third study examined the functional relation between a researcher-created psychoeducation program for Spanish-speaking parents of children with ASD and knowledge of ASD. The researcher created a culturally appropriate nine-session psychoeducation program. The program reviewed the definition of diagnosis, assessment procedures, evidence-based therapies, myths relating to diagnosis, autism across the lifespan, sharing with the family, schooling, and resources. Three parent participants took part in the study. The intervention was effective at increasing the autism-related knowledge of parent participants.