Informing Cultural Adaptations to Advocacy Programs for Spanish and English-speaking Families of Autistic Youth

Abstract Navigating adult disability services can be challenging for families of autistic youth. Barriers to service access are compounded among Spanish-speaking families of autistic youth, as many resources, applications, and information are unavailable in Spanish. Family-centered advocacy programs, including Advocacy for Supports to Improve Service Transitions (ASSIST) and Apoyando a nuestros hijo/a con la Transición de la secundaria a la vida adulta (ASISTIR), were created to help families gain knowledge and skills to access adult disability services. Yet, it is unclear whether such programs should offer differentiated content tailored to the unique barriers faced by English- and Spanish-speaking families. To that end, the purpose of this study was to compare the frequency and types of questions participants asked during ASSIST (offered only in English) and ASISTIR (offered only in Spanish). Accordingly, we analyzed the recordings from two ASSIST cohorts and two ASISTIR cohorts (collectively, 32 sessions, reflecting 64 h of recordings). Overall, there were no significant differences in the overall number of questions asked during the programs. However, ASISTIR participants asked more questions about models of decision-making, whereas ASSIST participants asked more questions about employment. While ASSIST and ASISTIR participants often asked questions related to eligibility for different types of services, ASISTIR participants asked more questions related to family involvement, and ASSIST participants asked more specific questions about financial planning. Implications for research and practice are discussed.