Identifying and Distinguishing Early indicators of Autism in Latino children (IDEAL)

Project Summary/Abstract Current prevalence rates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that 1 in 36 children have an autism spectrum disorder (autism). When considering the United States population, we find that approximately 26% of children are Latino. However, research on autism does not currently reflect the ethnic diversity of the population. Thus, recommendations and best practice guidelines for screening, diagnosis, and therapeutic support for autism may not reflect the needs of Latino children with autism. This results in significant disparities in identifying Latino children with autism, which can have long-lasting effects on developmental outcomes, well-being, and quality of life for Latino children with autism and their families. Underlying many of these disparities is the linguistic diversity observed in many Latino families and the limited knowledge about how language, communication skills, and autism symptoms manifest in early childhood. However, much of the autism research limits participation to English speakers, resulting in less knowledge about autism among non-English-speaking communities. Additional challenges arise when considering that bilingual (English/Spanish) environments may be more common among Latino children, and by extension, Latino children with autism. The current project will identify and measure the early developmental trajectories of language and communication skills of Latino children and assess and characterize the emergence of autism symptoms among Latino children with a high and low likelihood of autism. The proposed study's aims are to 1) identify and distinguish Latino children's language and communication profiles through a cross-sectional analysis; 2) assess and characterize the developmental trajectories of language and communication skills (English, Spanish) in Latino children between 1 and 5 years of age, and 3) assess and characterize the developmental trajectories of autism symptoms between 1 and 5 years of age in Latino children. We will use a cohort sequential design and multiple methods to capture comprehensive profiles of language and communication skills and autism symptoms to measure early development between 1 and 5 years of age among Latino children. The results of this study will help identify the developmental points when language and communication diverge between Latino children with a high and low likelihood of autism. Furthermore, the results will help clarify when and how autism symptoms can be distinguished between Latino children with a high and low likelihood of autism. These recommendations can have long-lasting effects on addressing the disparities Latino families of children with autism face in accessing culturally and linguistically informed services.