Maternal beliefs about autism: A link between intervention services and autism severity in White and Latino mothers.
Parents who see autism as mysterious or life-altering are more likely to have their kids in intensive services—use this insight when counseling hesitant families.
01Research in Context
What this study did
McGarty et al. (2018) asked White and Latina moms what they believe about autism.
They used a survey. They also counted how many hours of therapy each child got.
The team wanted to see if moms’ beliefs predicted service use.
What they found
Moms who said autism is a big life mystery used more services for their kids.
Latina moms saw autism as less puzzling than White moms.
Even so, Latina kids still got fewer hours of therapy.
How this fits with other research
Older papers already showed Latino kids get fewer services. Byers et al. (2013) and Nijs et al. (2016) proved this years ago.
Lopez et al. (2020) adds a twist: Latina moms feel less pessimistic and more family pride. This looks like a contradiction, but it is not. The 2018 paper links beliefs to service hours; the 2020 paper links beliefs to mood. Both can be true.
Magaña et al. (2020) turned the insight into action. They built a Spanish-friendly parent class. It raised moms’ confidence and child skills.
Why it matters
When a mom says autism is no big deal, she may skip extra therapy. Do not judge. Ask open questions about her views. Offer short, clear examples of how more hours can help. Pair this with Spanish materials or a trusted promotora. Small moves like these can close the service gap without shaming her culture.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Variation in parental beliefs about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may impact subsequent service use profiles. This study aimed to examine (1) variation in beliefs about ASD among English language proficient White (EP-W) mothers, English language proficient Latino (EPL) mothers, and limited English language proficient Latino (LEP-L) mothers of children with ASD; (2) variation in beliefs about ASD in the context of the child's ASD severity, among EP White mothers, EP Latino others, and LEP Latino mothers; and (3) potential links between maternal beliefs about ASD and children's current ASD treatment. This multi-site study included 305 English or Spanish-speaking parents of children with ASD, ages 2-10 years, who completed a survey about their beliefs about their child's ASD, their child's ASD severity, and treatments used by their children. Results showed that mothers in the EP-W, EP-L, and LEP-L groups differed in their beliefs about viewing ASD as a mystery. Only maternal views of ASD severity in the EP-W group were linked to their beliefs about ASD. Finally, maternal beliefs about ASD having major consequences on their child's life, and ASD being a mystery were strongly associated with a child's use of ASD intervention services. These findings provide new knowledge of how maternal beliefs about ASD vary in linguistically diverse groups, how a child's ASD severity may influence such beliefs, and how maternal beliefs correlate with the amount of therapy children with ASD receive. Future research should address how these beliefs or views are formed, what factors influence them, or whether they are malleable. Understanding parents' beliefs or views of having a child with ASD can potentially help us increase use of ASD intervention services in families of children with ASD.
Research in autism spectrum disorders, 2018 · doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2011.03.008