The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive

We will discuss cultural and linguistic diversity and its affect on ASD diagnosis and assessment from epidemiological and clinical perspectives. This interactive session will provide information on the role of diversity in clinical outcomes and recommendations for families and clinicians to reduce misdiagnosis and late diagnosis within diverse populations. Cultural and linguistic diversity (CLD) is an inclusive term that encompasses people from different cultures with both English and non-English speaking backgrounds. This diversity provides unique challenges in the diagnosis and assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for families and clinicians. According to the 2013 American Community Survey, approximately 21% of people living in the United States speak another language other than English in the home.  We will provide an overview of demographic trends in the United States, discuss trends in ASD prevalence rates-particularly the differences between racial and ethnic groups, and consider challenges this diversity presents for families and clinicians assessing for ASD.  Attendees of this presentation will be able to: 1) Explain how diversity in language and culture affect the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder; 2) Describe specific barriers to assessing autism in persons who are linguistically and/or culturally diverse; and 3) Describe multiple recommendations for culturally responsive assessment of autism in diverse families.

Ms. Kast will present new findings from a pilot project conducted by the Colorado Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Project.  The project sought to better understand linguistic diversity among children with ASD in the Denver metropolitan area and its role on clinical and surveillance outcomes.  The findings suggest linguistic diversity effects whether or not a child is diagnosed with ASD before age 8 as well as the age of diagnosis. 

Dr. Harris will build upon the epidemiological perspective by examining issues with autism assessment within culturally and linguistically diverse populations as ASD is primarily diagnosed through behaviors developed within the context of one’s culture and family.  She will review a recent study that evaluated autism diagnostic and screening tools for cultural and linguistic responsiveness (JADD. doi: 10.1007/s10803-013-1991-8).

The presentation will close with a discussion, led by Dr. Harris, of recommendations for improving ASD assessment practices from both the family and clinical perspectives. Participants will gain practical recommendations that will ultimately lead to the reduction of misdiagnosis and late diagnosis of ASD within diverse populations, thus leading to earlier and more proactive intervention services.

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