RESEARCH
EDUCATING AND INFORMING BETTER PRACTICES THROUGH SCIENCE
YOU HAVE A VOICE. YOUR PERSPECTIVE MATTERS.
Why should I participate in research?
Historically, harmful research practices have been used to discriminate against, harm, and deceive people of color; fueling mistrust of research and clinical practices. Today, better research practices are being conducted to uplift communities of color and neurodivergent individuals, and build trust between individuals, researchers, and organizations. People with historically marginalized identities (e.g., racially underserved families, LGBTQIA+), including autistic individuals and their families, are highly underrepresented in research due to mistrust of research, lack of access to ongoing studies, and minimal conduction of research that is meaningful to them. Participating in research that is meaningful to you is a great way to highlight your perspective and increase the development of interventions and practices that fits your individual needs. Village Autism will highlight current research that aligns with the mission and goals of our organization and that contributes to supporting and highlighting the diverse voices of the autistic community.
YOUR VOICE MATTERS
research highlights
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A culturally grounded autism parent training program with Black parents
The Color of Autism Foundation developed and ran a parent training program for Black parents of children with autism. Overall, parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the training, were highly engaged, and reported high levels of empowerment. Parents also reported continued mistrust in the medical and research community and a need for more Black providers. Further work should examine the relationship between the parent and provider in autism treatment and study the impact of circles of healing for Black families. Full Article
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Screening, Diagnosis, and Intervention for Autism: Black and Multiracial Families...
Weitlauf and colleagues (2023) explored experiences of early autism symptoms, perceptions of care providers, and the influence of culture and race on the experience of Black and Multi-racial Caregivers of autistic youth. Familial, provider-level, cultural, and systemic barriers were identified. Parents provided clear recommendations on how their experience could be improved (e.g., Listen to parents, increase affordability and accessibility to therapies, and more representation). Full Article
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In Search of Culturally Appropriate Autism Interventions: Perspectives of Latino Caregivers
Dubay and colleagues (2018) explored Latine caregivers’ perceptions of intervention strategies, including challenges, perspectives and preferences for intervention strategies and models. Caregivers described the impact autism had on their family (e.g., community stigma), unmet needs from service providers (e.g., open communication, more parental involvement, professionalism), and preferred strategies (e.g., a variety of strategies). Full Article.
contact us
You are a part of our village! If you have any supports, research, or resources that you would like to be featured or that you think we need more of, please email us and let us know. We value the perspectives of individuals with lived experience. Our team would love to talk to you more!