ASD Diagnosis and Treatment Experiences Among Mexican Heritage Families.
Shana R Cohen, Jessica Miguel, Jessica Trejos
PMID 35305543WHAT IT FOUND
Mexican heritage families described diagnosis pathways shaped by rural isolation, undocumented status, and provider hesitation.
Many received intervention before formal diagnosis. Families reported needing to advocate strongly against service cancellations and structural barriers to access timely care.
Key findings
01Most children in the sample were diagnosed between ages two and three, but families often required multiple referrals to reach a diagnosis.
02A significant number of parents reported receiving ASD intervention services before their child received a formal diagnosis, often due to unclear paths or rural access limits.
03Structural factors such as undocumented status and rural geography created barriers that required parents to engage in intense advocacy to maintain or obtain services.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Participants were already connected to the regional center service system, excluding families who never accessed care. The sample consisted entirely of mother-son dyads, limiting perspectives on fathers or daughters with ASD. Recall bias is possible, particularly for older children where diagnosis events occurred years prior. The study describes experiences rather than testing an intervention, so it cannot determine if advocacy improves clinical outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the average age of diagnosis in this sample as a general benchmark for all Latino families. The participants were already engaged with service systems, which likely skews the data toward those who successfully navigated barriers, ignoring those who were completely excluded from care.