Transition to Kindergarten for Children on the Autism Spectrum: Perspectives of Korean-American Parents.
Sohyun An Kim
PMID 35821546WHAT IT FOUND
Korean-American parents put child behavior and teacher cooperation first.
They named school-system knowledge and teacher relationships as top barriers. First-generation parents, lower income, and self-contained placement were linked to more reported challenges.
Key findings
01When ranking child readiness skills, parents placed behavioral readiness first and cooperation with teachers second, while communicating needs and separating from parents were ranked near the bottom.
02The highest-rated barriers were lack of knowledge about the U.S. school system and building authentic relationships with teachers. Linguistic barriers, disclosing the child's disability, and stigma were rated third, fourth, and fifth.
03In the regression model, first-generation immigrant parents, lower family income, and children in self-contained special education classrooms reported more challenges, while children who communicated vocally and parents with college or beyond education reported fewer challenges.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The survey was anonymous, so parents self-reported their eligibility and their child's ASD diagnosis without verification. There was no comparison group, so the study cannot show that these challenges are unique to Korean-American parents. Only one parent per family responded, so the study did not capture both parents' views or extended family involvement. The survey did not collect child severity, intellectual capacity, or details of school transition practices, so those factors may be linked to the reported challenges. 60.8% of participants were second-generation Korean-American parents, so the findings may not represent parents newer to the United States. The study was exploratory and descriptive, and the ranking method did not show the true distance between ranks.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the findings as proof that Korean-American parents are less willing to partner with schools. The survey found that building a positive relationship with teachers was the highest parent-support priority, and it had no comparison group, so these reports cannot show a cultural deficit or a causal barrier.