Exploring Factors of Diagnostic Timing Among Black Autistic Youth.
Harlee Onovbiona, Lauren Quetsch, Emily-Anne Del Rosario
PMID 38509323WHAT IT FOUND
Black families whose autism diagnosis came later noticed signs much later, waited longer after noticing signs, and were more likely to report a misdiagnosis.
Reported racial barriers did not differ by diagnosis timing.
Key findings
01Families in the delayed diagnosis group reported first noticing autism signs at mean age 6.86 years and a wait gap of 1.6 between first noticing signs and diagnosis, compared with early (2.05 and 0.34) and mid (2.97 and 0.68).
02Caregivers in the delayed diagnosis group reported misdiagnosis 46.4%, compared with 17.9% in the mid group and 17.6% in the early group.
03Racial barriers did not differ between diagnostic groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Families were recruited from a research database, so they may be more willing to engage in research and less distrustful than many Black families. Child cognitive and symptom data were not collected, so the study cannot account for differences in disability or autism presentation. The study did not include a comparison group from another racial or ethnic group, so it cannot say whether these patterns are unique to Black families. The racial barriers measure was created by the study team and described as not psychometrically supported. The study cannot show that later noticed signs, wait gap, or misdiagnosis caused delayed diagnosis.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that racial barriers are irrelevant because they did not differ by diagnostic timing. The study found no group difference in reported racial barriers, but caregivers reported mistrust, low perceived provider knowledge, and difficulty understanding provider language. The study did not test whether these barriers affected diagnosis.