Access to Part C, Early Intervention for children younger than 4 years evaluated for autism spectrum disorder.

LAY ABSTRACT: Health disparities are defined as preventable differences in the opportunities to achieve optimal health outcomes experienced by marginalized and underrepresented communities. For families with autistic children, health disparities limit accessing early intervention services-which have been found to improve quality of life and other outcomes. One specific early intervention service in the United States is Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part C Early Intervention programs, which are federally funded interventions for children birth-to-three with developmental delays. This study adds to this topic by examining which factors impact accessing Part C, Early Intervention services for children who were evaluated for autism. Results showed that only half of the sample received these services despite there being concerns about development for all children. In addition, results showed that those who identified as Black had decreased odds of having accessed Part C, Early Intervention compared to those who identified as White. These results suggest that there are disparities when it comes to accessing important early intervention services that may be negatively impacting the Black autistic community.

A Comparison of the Clinical Presentation of Preterm Birth and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Commonalities and Distinctions in Children Under 3.

Premature infants and infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) share many commonalities in clinical presentations. However, prematurity and ASD also have differences in clinical presentation. These overlapping phenotypes can lead to misdiagnoses of ASD or missing a diagnosis of ASD in preterm infants. We document these commonalities and differences in various developmental domains with the hope of aiding in the accurate early detection of ASD and timely intervention implementation in children born premature. Given the degree of similarities in presentation, evidence-based interventions designed specifically for preterm toddlers or toddlers with ASD may ultimately aid both populations.

Partnering With Latino/a Caregivers and Community Stakeholders to Understand Priorities and Needs Prior to Implementing an Early Literacy Program.

PURPOSE: Latino/a children disproportionately experience academic vulnerabilities, including in reading. Caregiver-mediated interventions can be leveraged to support the bilingual language development of young Latino/a children to prevent these well-documented disparities in reading. However, in leveraging these programs, it is important to weigh Latino cultural values surrounding education, family connection, and learning alongside the barriers and inequities experienced by Latino families. In response to this need, this study used a community-partnered approach to (a) understand caregivers' needs related to the language and literacy development of their young children and (b) understand perspectives for how best to implement a culturally adapted and culturally responsive caregiver-mediated program. METHOD: A total of 101 caregivers completed a needs assessment of sociodemographic information, child development and needs, and family needs. Subsequently, nonprofit staff and caregivers completed semistructured interviews or focus groups about the development and implementation of a birth-to-5 program supporting early language development. RESULTS: Thirty-five percent of families reported having at least one child with delayed language. Furthermore, 60.3% of respondents reported desiring strategies to support their child's early reading. Deductive content analysis revealed that both staff and caregivers desired a birth-to-5, caregiver-mediated program. Staff described family-level characteristics to consider for an early language program, community strengths, specific inequities faced by Latino families, and suggestions about culturally responsive early language and literacy program content and structure. Caregivers described barriers and inequities that they have faced related to their children's learning and development and how a birth-to-5 program could be responsive to their needs and values. CONCLUSIONS: Staff and caregiver emphasized the resilience of Latino families and their strong values surrounding educational involvement. At the same time, participants also reported barriers and inequities rooted in systemic racism that have prevented families from being involved in certain aspects of the children's education. Together, these results revealed the importance of an early literacy program that is responsive to the structural inequities experienced by families.