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Exploration Of The Cultural Perspectives Of Caregivers Of African American And African Children With Delayed Diagnosis Of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Deirdre Marie Johnson-Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractThrough the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory, the purpose of the study was to explore African American and African caregivers’ perceptions of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), child development knowledge, religious/traditional beliefs, and fear of stigma within the context of their culture. African and African American children with ASD are identified at later ages than Caucasian children by 1 1/2 to 2 years. Disparities in educational and social outcomes of African and African American children with ASD may be related to this identification delay. Current literature regarding African and African American caregivers’ perceptions of children with ASD is sparse. An ethnographic …