Services in minoritized autistic adolescents and adults varying in language skills

BackgroundRacially and ethnically minoritized (minoritized) autistic individuals face intersectional disparities in services access in the transition to adulthood. Our understanding of disparities is limited by systematic exclusion from research and inadequate approaches to characterizing services. To address these gaps and effect advocacy, this study: 1) examined services received, unmet service needs, and barriers in minoritized autistic adolescents and adults, and 2) determined if language, NVIQ, and autism traits predict services when deployed as binary or continuous variables. MethodAcademic and community partners tailored CBPR to a local context. Participants (N = 73, ages 13-30) completed a behavioral assessment protocol. Participants and caregivers provided information on services received, unmet service needs, and barriers to services. Data were analyzed using descriptives and regression. ResultsParticipants received multiple services yet had multiple unmet service needs and barriers. Effects of services differed by approach. Language impairment, but not language scores, predicted receiving more services. High levels of autism traits and autism trait scores predicted more unmet service needs. ImplicationsWhile the number of services and unmet service needs were similar to prior work, differences in individual service variables and effects support attention to heterogeneity. Findings support intersectional approaches to CBPR and autism research. Learning outcomesAfter reading the article, the learner will be able to: 1) summarize knowledge gaps about access to services; 2) explain the relevance of tailoring CBPR to a local context; and 3) describe implications of findings for clinicians and autistic individuals.