Family Navigation for Children with Autism: A Scoping Review of Quantitative and Qualitative Evidence.
Family navigation gets autism families through service doors faster, but we still need to watch if kids actually get better.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Sánchez-Luquez et al. (2025) looked at 17 papers about family navigation for autism.
They pulled together studies that asked: does guiding families to services help them?
Kids ranged from toddlers to teens, but the review kept the spotlight on parents.
What they found
Navigation lifted four parent areas: feeling activated, less stress, more knowledge, and faster service use.
No paper tracked child skill or behavior change, so the kid outcome box is still empty.
How this fits with other research
Germansky et al. (2020) showed parents can run full FAs at home and cut problem behavior.
That result seems to clash with Y et al.—parent power moved behavior there, yet not here.
The gap is measurement: Germansky counted child data, Y et al. only looked at parent reports.
Simacek et al. (2020) also fit the parent-empower theme; telehealth coaching boosted child communication while keeping moms and dads in the driver seat.
Together the trio says: when you teach parents skills and track kids, you can get both wins; navigation alone gives easier access but no proof of child gains yet.
Why it matters
You can add a quick parent-check to any navigation plan.
One page that asks: “Did child tantrums go down this month?” turns access into impact data.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Family navigation (FN) has emerged as a promising intervention for reducing barriers and addressing social and economic inequities in autism service delivery. Little is known regarding the implementation and effectiveness of FN for children with autism. The aims of this scoping review are to: (1) summarize the breadth, quantity, and characteristics of the existing literature on FN for children diagnosed with autism; (2) describe the models and outcomes of FN for this population; and (3) identify knowledge gaps and provide directions for future research. Authors used Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework for scoping reviews. Searches were conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Social Services Abstracts, and Web of Science, resulting in identification of 308 papers. Two independent raters completed title/abstract and full-text screenings. Data was extracted using a researcher-developed tool. Results synthesis involved content and construct analysis and descriptive numerical summaries. 17 publications met inclusion criteria. Among these, seven studies evaluated FN models delivered by professional or peer navigators. Three studies investigated FN tools. The remaining seven papers included five qualitative and two mixed methods studies that provided valuable insights on improving FN programs. Overall, studies on FN models reported positive impacts on family activation and well-being, knowledge, and service access and utilization. None addressed improvements in child developmental status or behavioral profiles. FN is a promising intervention for improving family outcomes and increasing service access and utilization. Further research is needed to establish best practices, identify child- and family-centered outcome metrics, and promote scalability and sustainability.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.1007/s10803-019-04199-3