Black Caregiver Perspectives During a Developmental Diagnostic Interview.

This study looked at how Black parents describe their toddlers' development during autism assessments. Researchers interviewed 19 Black parents about their children's communication, learning, and behavior. The study found that Black parents describe their children's development in unique ways that reflect their cultural experiences. This research could help doctors better understand and work with Black families during the diagnostic process.

This retrospective qualitative study examined perspectives of 19 Black caregivers of 13 toddlers during developmental diagnostic interviews. Conducted by a Black research team, the study used semi-structured interviews and conceptual content analysis to explore how Black caregivers describe their children's behaviors and characteristics. Caregivers provided distinct descriptions across language/communication, learning, and temperament domains, linking these to situational and dispositional factors. The research addresses gaps in understanding cultural influences on diagnostic conversations and aims to inform culturally responsive diagnostic practices.

Findings suggest potential for improving caregiver-provider interactions and achieving earlier, more accurate diagnoses for Black children.

Findings suggest need for culturally responsive diagnostic practices when working with Black families. Healthcare providers should consider cultural context when interpreting caregiver descriptions of developmental concerns. Training in cultural competence may improve caregiver-provider interactions and diagnostic accuracy for Black children.

Small sample size (19 caregivers, 13 children) limits generalizability. Retrospective design may introduce recall bias. Study focused only on toddlers under 3 years, limiting applicability to older children. No comparison group included to assess cultural specificity of findings.

Despite increasing autism prevalence rates across racial and ethnic groups, research has traditionally overlooked the influence of culture on developmental diagnostic conversations. Addressing this gap in research is crucial to understanding and mitigating potential disparities in diagnostic experiences, especially among Black caregivers. Black caregivers encounter frustration and discrimination during the diagnostic process, citing dismissiveness and a lack of cultural competence from healthcare providers. To address these issues, this study centers the perspectives of Black caregivers as they participate in a developmental diagnostic program for toddlers under three years of age.

This retrospective qualitative study, conducted exclusively by a Black research team, involved nineteen Black caregivers of thirteen toddlers as they participated in semi-structured interviews conducted by a multidisciplinary clinical team. The research team employed a conceptual content analysis to examine caregivers' descriptions of their children's behaviors and characteristics, as well as the factors and experiences associated with their descriptions. Caregivers provided distinct descriptions of behaviors and characteristics in the categories of language and communication, learning, and temperament, associating them with situational and dispositional factors and experiences. The findings offer valuable insights for implementing culturally responsive diagnostic practices.

Additionally, these results may enhance the quality of caregiver-provider interactions during developmental assessment, leading to earlier and more accurate diagnoses for Black children.