Racial and Ethnic Diversity of Participants in Research Supporting Evidence-Based Practices for Learners With Autism Spectrum Disorder

West, Elizabeth A.; Travers, Jason C.; Kemper, Talya; Liberty, Lisa; Cote, Debra L.; McCollow, Meaghan; Brusnahan, L. Lynn Stansberry

doi:10.1177/0022466916632495

Cited by 156 publications

(121 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Underreporting of cultural factors in the field of ASD is, however, well documented (Broder-Fingert et al 2017;Kistner and Robbins 1986;National Autism Center 2015;Pierce et al 2014;West et al 2016;Wong et al , 2015. For instance, Pierce et al (2014) evaluated methodological practices for reporting ethnicity for study participants in ASD studies published in three autism-related academic journals.…”

Section: The Gap-reach Checklist To Assess Reporting Of Cultural Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The reviews of intervention research reporting on evidence-based practices (EBPs) for children and youth with ASD (National Autism Center 2015; Wong et al , 2015 also showed that most efficacy studies did not systematically include information on cultural demographics of their participants. More specifically, these studies did not describe ethnicity, nationality, or race of the participants other than White, Caucasian, or European-American (West et al 2016). Inadequate reporting of cultural factors presents a number of methodological issues affecting both research and practice.…”

Section: The Gap-reach Checklist To Assess Reporting Of Cultural Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, it can hinder conducting subsequent analyses to understand reasons for cross-cultural differences in ASD prevalence, symptomatology, and treatment preferences (Chung et al 2014); it can also present threats to replicability and generalizability of study results (Kistner and Robbins 1986), especially, for the proposed evidence-based interventions. As West et al (2016) noted the absence of scientifically sound interventions with culturally diverse students might make teachers feel skeptical about the efficacy of the recommended EBPs in educational settings as these EBPs may conflict with beliefs and values of these students and their families.…”

Section: The Gap-reach Checklist To Assess Reporting Of Cultural Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, researchers' clear reporting of culturerelated factors can ensure rigor of their findings; inclusion of cultural variables into analyses can provide viable outcome data to compare, replicate, or extend across different or similar ethnic groups (Pierce et al 2014), as well as can help establish external validity for EBPs for diverse individuals with ASD (West et al 2016). This may have direct implications for practice as it allows to (1) understand mechanisms underlying disproportionate diagnosis and access to services for ethnic minorities with ASD (Pierce et al 2014), (2) increase practitioners' awareness on impact of cultural factors on treatment outcomes (Chung et al 2014), and (3) design culturally competent, individualized interventions, tailored to meet unique needs of each person with ASD and his/her family members (Stahmer et al 2011).…”

Section: The Gap-reach Checklist To Assess Reporting Of Cultural Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We chose to limit our study to the Swedish research context only, as the existing review studies that investigated a similar concept in the field of ASD were predominantly conducted in the USA (e.g., Broder-Fingert et al 2017;Pierce et al 2014;West et al 2016). Another reason for examining only Swedish ASD publications was a practical one: we are a group of researchers who are involved into intervention research for children and youth with ASD and other developmental disabilities in various educational and clinical settings in Sweden.…”

Section: Aims and Research Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reporting of Cultural Factors in Autism Research Publications in Sweden: Application of the GAP-REACH Checklist

Engstrand

Klang

Hirvikoski

et al. 2018

Rev J Autism Dev Disord

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Systematic reporting of cultural variables in research publications is important to address disparities in diagnostics and treatment for children with ASD from diverse backgrounds. The present review examined reporting of cultural factors in ASD publications in the Swedish research context by using the GAP-REACH checklist developed by the Cultural Committee of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry. Thirty peer-reviewed articles published in English between 2013 and 2015 met inclusion criteria. Depending on research designs, 46% of the reviewed studies defined cultural factors using various proxies for ethnicity to describe study participants; none of the studies used the Brace^variable; 23.3% provided rationale for inclusion of cultural factors. The checklist in its modified form is applicable within the Swedish context.

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Section: The Gap-reach Checklist To Assess Reporting Of Cultural Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Gap-reach Checklist To Assess Reporting Of Cultural Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Gap-reach Checklist To Assess Reporting Of Cultural Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Gap-reach Checklist To Assess Reporting Of Cultural Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Aims and Research Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Reporting of Cultural Factors in Autism Research Publications in Sweden: Application of the GAP-REACH Checklist

Engstrand

Klang

Hirvikoski

et al. 2018

Rev J Autism Dev Disord

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A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Cultural and Contextual Factors on Autism Across the Globe

2020

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Autism research is heavily skewed towards western high-income countries. Culturally appropriate screening and diagnostic instruments for autism are lacking in most low-and middle-income settings where the majority of the global autism population lives. To date, a clear overview of the possible cultural and contextual factors that may affect the process of identifying and diagnosing individuals with ASD is missing. This study aims to outline these factors by proposing a conceptual framework. A multidisciplinary review approach was applied to inform the development of the conceptual framework, combining a systematic review of the relevant autism research literature with a wider literature search spanning key texts in global mental health, cultural psychiatry, cross-cultural psychology and intellectual disability research. The resulting conceptual framework considers the identification, helpseeking and diagnostic process at four interrelated levels: i) the expression, ii) recognition, iii) interpretation and iv) reporting of autism symptoms, and describes the cultural and contextual factors associated with each of these levels, including cultural norms of typical and atypical behaviour, culture-specific approaches to parenting, mental health literacy, cultural beliefs, attitudes and stigma, as well as the affordability, availability, accessibility and acceptability of services. This framework, mapping out the cultural and contextual factors that can affect the identification, help-seeking and diagnosis of ASD, may function as a springboard for the development of culturally appropriate autism screening and diagnostic instruments, and inform future cross-cultural autism research directions. The framework also has relevance for clinicians and policy makers aiming to improve support for underserved autism populations worldwide. Lay summaryThe vast majority of autism research is conducted in western high-income settings. We therefore know relatively little of how culture and context can affect the identification, helpseeking and diagnosis of autism across the globe. This paper synthesises what is known from the autism research literature and a broader literature and maps out how culture and context may affect i) the expression, ii) recognition, iii) interpretation and iv) reporting of autism symptoms.

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Age differences in broader autism phenotype traits from young adulthood to older adulthood

Chopik

Nuttall

et al. 2021

Autism Research

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Much of past research has been dedicated to refining the operationalization and correlates of the broader autism phenotype (BAP) and less on how the BAP differs by socio-demographic characteristics, like age-particularly after midlife. This gap is important because other nonclinical trait-like characteristics (e.g., personality) have shown considerable age differences, leading to work assessing the malleability of psychological characteristics and improving outcomes for individuals and their significant others. In the current study, we examined cross-sectional age differences in the BAP in a large sample of adults ranging in age from 18 to 85. We recruited a sample of 2966 adults ranging in age from 18 to 85 (M age = 36.53, SD = 12.61; 58.9% Female; 1.1% with an ASD diagnosis) recruited from an online survey service. We found that total BAP scores were higher in younger adults and lower among older adults. These differences were particularly true for pragmatic language difficulties, with this component of the BAP showing the most dramatic age differences. Aloofness showed similar negative associations with age, albeit much smaller. Rigidity was not significantly associated with age. The results are consistent with other research showing an abatement of symptoms among individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) across early life and theories predicting changes in other psychological characteristics (e.g., personality). The results are discussed in the context of the malleability of ASD and BAP traits across life, the clinical implications of these changes, and the origins and consequences for lifespan differences in BAP.Lay Summary: Little is known about how subclinical autistic-like traits among middle-aged and older adults compare to younger adults. We found that these subclinical traits were highest in young adults and lowest in older adults. Knowing how these traits differ by age can provide researchers and clinicians with a sense of how much these traits might change across life, if the traits might be sensitive to interventions, and when in development it might be best to intervene.

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Racial and Ethnic Diversity of Participants in Research Supporting Evidence-Based Practices for Learners With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Cited by 156 publications

References 31 publications

Reporting of Cultural Factors in Autism Research Publications in Sweden: Application of the GAP-REACH Checklist

Reporting of Cultural Factors in Autism Research Publications in Sweden: Application of the GAP-REACH Checklist

A Conceptual Framework for Understanding the Cultural and Contextual Factors on Autism Across the Globe

Age differences in broader autism phenotype traits from young adulthood to older adulthood

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