Underdiagnosis and referral bias of autism in ethnic minorities

This study examined (1) the distribution of ethnic minorities among children referred to autism institutions and (2) referral bias in pediatric assessment of autism in ethnic minorities. It showed that compared to the known community prevalence, ethnic minorities were under-represented among 712 children referred to autism institutions. In addition, pediatricians (n = 81) more often referred to autism when judging clinical vignettes of European majority cases (Dutch) than vignettes including non-European minority cases (Moroccan or Turkish). However, when asked explicitly for ratings of the probability of autism, the effect of ethnic background on autism diagnosis disappeared. We conclude that the use of structured ratings may decrease the likelihood of ethnic bias in diagnostic decisions of autis

Mothers’ Reactions to Their Child’s ASD Diagnosis: Predictors That Discriminate Grief from Distress

We examined whether grief and general distress reactions characterized mothers’ reactions to their child’s ASD diagnosis, and whether these two types of reactions had unique predictors. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted on data collected from 362 mothers recruited from the Interactive Autism Network (IAN). The mothers were predominantly white, highly educated, and married. Grief reactions were positively associated with perceiving ASD as a loss and as unjust. Distress was positively associated with previous mental health issues, mothers’ reports of their child’s aggressive behavior, identity ambiguity, and less social support. Internal attributions were positively related to grief and distress. Discussion focuses on why the distinction between these two types of affective reactions may be useful for parents and professionals