ERIC Number: EJ1480986
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025-Sep
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: EISSN-1573-3432
Available Date: 2024-06-06
The Role of Pathways Early Autism Intervention in Improving Social Skills and "Respeto" for Young Hispanic Autistic Children
Erin E. Kosloski1,2; Siddhi D. Patel1,2; Pamela Rosenthal Rollins1,2
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v55 n9 p3167-3178 2025
Purpose: We know very little about Hispanic autistic children's response to intervention as, historically, Hispanic children are underrepresented in intervention studies. Pathways parent-mediated early autism intervention is one of the few naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) that is contextually and linguistically responsive to Hispanic families. However, some child-centered NDBI strategies do not align with the Hispanic caregiving value of "respeto." A child exhibiting respeto demonstrates affiliative obedience by displaying deference and respect toward adults. Furthermore, theories of the ontogeny of cultural learning suggest that certain levels of social development may be necessary to learn cultural values. The current study investigates (1) the relationship between Hispanic autistic children's social skills and affiliative obedience and (2) the efficacy of Pathways in improving affiliative obedience in Hispanic children. Methods: This quasi-experimental design study used preexisting standardized test data and video recordings from 26 Hispanic participants who took part in a previous Pathways efficacy study. Recordings were coded for affiliative obedience and social connectedness. Residual change variables were used to measure progress from baseline to post-intervention, and correlation and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. Results: We found significant positive correlations between social skills and children's affiliative obedience for baseline and change variables. In addition, we found Pathways had a significant medium-large magnitude effect on change in affiliative obedience skills. Conclusion: This study highlights the benefits of NDBI interventions that advance social development in autistic children and support Hispanic parents in enculturating their children in the value of respeto.
Descriptors: Hispanic Americans, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Response to Intervention, Cultural Influences, Interpersonal Relationship, Interpersonal Competence, Program Effectiveness, Correlation, Child Behavior, Young Children
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: 1University of Texas, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing, Dallas-Richardson, USA; 2Callier Center for Communication Disorders, Dallas, USA

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