The CDC's most recent autism prevalence estimates document the continued trend of higher prevalence among non-Hispanic white children compared to Hispanic children. The disproportionate underrepresentation of Latino children in the health, education and service systems is measurable, disadvantaging the child and family. This quantitative study identifies support needs and obstacles experienced by 96 Latina mothers of children with autism, active in Spanish-language parent groups in California. Study measures included the Family Needs Survey and the Caring for My Child Survey. To determine the significance of the results on the Family Needs Survey, an item-by-item chi-square analysis compared results to those of to a similar population from a different study that used the same measure. A high proportion of mothers reported substantial levels of unmet needs in their role as primary caregiver using the Family Needs Survey: all 35 survey items were unmet for at least 50% of mothers; 28 items were common needs. The level and number of unmet needs of mothers in the present study in areas such as social support and care services were significantly greater than the comparison group. On the Caring for My Child Survey, mothers identified multiple barriers personally encountered in obtaining assistance for their children including psychosocial, economic, political, and healthcare factors. Findings are relevant to improve access for Latinos in the health, education and service systems, and to establish a baseline for comparison.
General education faculty involved in inclusive education efforts often lack the common vocabulary and basic skills needed to comfortably collaborate with their special education colleagues. This frequently leads to a “mine” versus “yours” mentality regarding students with special needs. Schools Attuned, a professional development and service delivery program, is described here as a potential model for collaborative intervention. Using Schools Attuned to perpetuate a three-tier model for support and intervention allows educators to come together with a shared vision, common principles and language, and additional skills. This article describes Schools Attuned, identifies its potential role in creating a collaborative atmosphere for inclusive education, and reviews its limitations and benefits.
Currently more than 15% of children have an emotional, behavioral, or developmental concern. In spite of recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct universal developmental surveillance and screening with children at 9, 18, and 24 months of age, fewer than 30% of children under 6 years of age ever receive a developmental screening. Children in low-income and diverse communities are even less likely to be screened by a medical provider and/or referred for further diagnostic evaluation when predictive concerns are identified. As part of a cross-agency collaborative effort involving a family resource center, a child care resource and referral agency, a regional center for developmental disabilities, and a master's degree program in early childhood education, the Mobile Developmental Screening Van Project conducted outreach to provide free developmental screening with families of children 0-8 years of age in diverse and low-income communities within the greater Los Angeles County. Using the Parent Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) screening tool, 94 children were screened over the course of 6 months, with 33% showing 2 or more predictive concerns that resulted in referrals for further diagnostic evaluation. The feasibility of reaching families in hard to reach communities using a mobile screening van, as well as study limitations and recommendations for next steps, are discussed.
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