The Experiences of Latino Parents as they Navigate Care for a Child with Autism

This qualitative study explored the experiences of Latino caregivers as they navigate care for a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Six caregivers participated in a semi-standardized interview containing 14 questions. The data obtained was analyzed using a phenomenological approach to find common themes in the participants' experiences. Findings were organized into two broad themes and sub-themes of positive experiences with service access and delivery and negative experiences with service access and delivery. The sub-themes of positive experiences were as follows: communication, support systems, collaboration, education, and luck. The sub-themes of negative experiences were language access and interpretation, lack of information, limited support and validation from professionals, waitlists and logistics. The findings in this study provide several implications for practice, policy, research and education. Increased access to consistent quality interpretation, increased training for professionals and further evaluation of policies that impact Latino clients are all recommended.