Traditionally, most autism assessment instruments are based on medical models and designed to identify social communication deficits and behavioral abnormality in an individual. However, as more autistic narratives reveal the insider views of autists, some scholars and autistic activists support the neurodiversity model and assert the acceptance…

Autism spectrum disorder is diagnosed more in males than females, this difference is even more prevalent if the female is of at least average intelligence. The problem addressed by this qualitative exploratory case study was the under-identification of females with autism due to their masking behavior. This problem directly impacts females who…

The rate of children being diagnosed with autism is growing rapidly. Currently, 1 in every 36 children born will go on to have an autism diagnosis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). Teachers and early educators working with young children do not have the training required to identify children at risk for this developmental…

The identification of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) occurs in educational and health settings. Many children with autism will only receive a classification of autism in the educational setting (Esler et al., 2022, Pettygrove et al., 2013, Wiggins et al., 2020). There is significant overlap between the early intervention offered to children with…

This study is an informative, phenomenological inquiry, investigating the lived experiences of Black parents and guardians through the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) identification process. Through semi-structured oral interviews, parent questionnaires, and parent journaling, the researcher identified participants' lived experiences. Data were…

According to multiple studies, a referral process bias exists in the early identification of autism for children of color, in particular Latino children. Sociocultural, economic, educational, and health care barriers have significantly impacted Latino children. For example, Latino children are less likely to receive access to early intervention…

The shortage of autism specialists and lack of culturally sensitive autism assessment tools are helping to perpetuate racial and ethnic disparities in autism identification and treatment. Using DisCrit as a framework, this quantitative study examined the utility of one autism assessment tool, the Social Responsiveness Scale, second edition (SRS-2)…

The lack of validated autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening instruments hampers rehabilitation efforts for children with ASD in Africa. In the present study, the psychometric properties of two ASD screening instruments, that have been well-validated in the United States (US) context, were examined in the Ugandan context. These instruments were…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is the fastest-growing neurodevelopmental disorder (Baio et al., 2018), yet little information is available regarding the psychometric properties of the most commonly used ASD identification tools in school settings, particularly within traditionally culturally and linguistically minoritized populations (Boyd et al.,…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is diagnosed using the same criteria for males and females (e.g., DSM-5, ICD-10). Our understanding of ASD, including its etiology, symptom presentation, and prevalence has evolved significantly over time motivating several changes to the diagnostic criteria and the tools with which symptoms are measured. One aspect…

American Indian or Alaska Native children are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at later ages than Non-Hispanic White children. Other than being included in prevalence studies, in the last thirty years, there has been less than a handful of studies that have looked specifically at Autism Spectrum Disorder within the AI/AN community. No…

Racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities in autism identification negatively affect educational interventions for students identified with autism. The purpose of this qualitative ethnographic study was to gain insight into educational interventions aiding in eliminating racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities through the implementation…