Perceived community disability stigma in multicultural, low-income populations: Measure development and validation.

The WIC sample did not include developmental assessments, so some parents may have been unaware of their child's disability status. The study relied on self-reported perceptions of stigma rather than measuring actual community attitudes. Oral survey administration may have introduced reporting bias, potentially underestimating stigma in some groups. The sample was limited to Oregon and specific autism treatment network sites, which may not represent all populations. Racial and ethnic categories were broad, grouping diverse backgrounds into limited categories like 'Other'.

The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study used data from the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network and the Oregon WIC program.

Do not interpret low stigma scores in the WIC sample as evidence that community stigma is absent. These parents may have lacked awareness of disability in their own children or the community, whereas parents of children with autism reported higher stigma likely due to greater exposure to discriminatory attitudes.