Addressing Systemic Health Disparities in Early Identification and Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): ABCD Project

Addressing Systemic Health Disparities in Early ASD Identification and Treatment

The intervention under examination is designed to promote parents' school engagement following the transition from Early Intervention (EI) to preschool for parents of young children who were diagnosed with ASD through our screening and assessment protocol. The brief intervention employs principles of motivational interviewing to address not only the particular child characteristics and needs associated with ASD but also the unique, system-related challenges of navigating the special education system and advocating for appropriate services. Motivational interventions with parents are designed to elicit parents' specific, action-oriented goals for themselves and their children, enhancing motivation to pursue change, and addressing and resolving obstacles or sources of ambivalence.

By identifying and capitalizing on parents' strengths, empowering parents to develop specific goals, and improving parents' readiness to engage actively with their children's school, teacher, and educational team, we expect that this brief intervention will lead to higher levels of parental school involvement, higher special education engagement, and closer and more productive parent teacher relationships.

Inclusion Criteria: Parents of children who participated in our screening and assessment study, whose children received diagnoses of autism through our assessment, AND

• whose children are turning 3 and transitioning out of Early Intervention services.

Exclusion Criteria: Children who are medically complex OR

• have a previous diagnosis of ASD outside of our study OR
• Don't have a parent/guardian who speak/understand sufficient English or Spanish to complete study materials OR
• Don't qualify for Early Intervention services