The transition to school is challenging for families of children with autism, especially in the context of socioemotional and behavioral challenges. This study focuses on the needs of 64 parents of children with autism in Montreal during the transition from early behavioral services to school through the lens of the family needs assessment model. The research team collected data on family needs and socio-behavioral profiles at two critical periods during the school transition: the beginning and end of the first school year in kindergarten. Results indicated that the support needs expressed by parents to facilitate their child’s school transition are evolving and time-sensitive, particularly concerning children’s complex needs, education, and disability-related services, with family needs decreasing over the course of the year. The study underscores the necessity for diverse support throughout the transition period.

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs are among the most widely known interventions in autism, but their effects on families have received less attention despite the role that parents play in educating their child. The scarce literature on this topic primarily concerns the experiences of Anglophone, White, and Western families. This study documented the experience of 28 mothers and fathers who immigrated to Canada and received EIBI services provided by the province of Québec. Semi-structured interviews queried families' vision of EIBI and its consistency with their values and practices, their perception of the family-provider partnership, and the facilitators and obstacles they encountered in implementing EIBI. Results highlighted that families valued being involved and consulted, their partnerships with staff, and the professional and socioemotional competence of staff. These characteristics of EIBI implementation are consistent with the idea of cultural humility in applied behavior analysis.

BACKGROUND:ETAP-1 was created to evaluate the quality of services trajectory from families' perspective. The items of ETAP-1 were developed from previous studies on integrated care, existing quality assessments, and consultations with families and experts in evaluation and in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).METHOD:The questionnaire was completed by 200 parents of children aged 5 and under who were recently diagnosed with ASD or intellectual disability. Of these, 183 received diagnostic evaluation through a clinic specialized in ASD; the other 17 underwent diagnostic evaluation in hospital settings.RESULTS:Factor analysis supported the a priori dimensions of quality and distinctions between experiences before and during diagnostic evaluation. The instrument had high internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity with other measures and was sensitive to differences in service delivery models.DISCUSSION:ETAP-1 is useful in organizing information on families' experiences throughout their services trajectories and according to a dynamic perspective.

For families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the transition to school (i.e., beginning of kindergarten) often means the end of specialized early intervention services and several changes in types of support. These changes can be especially problematic for families from immigrant backgrounds, who are more likely to experience challenges navigating the health and education systems. The overall goal of this study was to document parents’ perspectives on the transition from early intensive behavioural intervention (EIBI) services to school. Qualitative semi-structured interviews based on the grounded theory framework were conducted with 18 families (29 parents) from different cultural backgrounds living in Québec (Canada). Results on the facilitators and barriers encountered during the transition and on partnerships (i.e., the parent–school team dyad, EIBI team–school team dyad) highlight the importance of improving continuity between services, of preparing children and parents for the transition, and of strengthening the professional relationship and the school’s culture of openness.

There presently exists limited information or studies on means to support immigrant families as they attempt to access quality services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An ASD diagnosis is the gateway to support services and adapted interventions. Yet, studies show that immigrant families typically experience longer delays in obtaining a diagnosis and more challenges in gaining access to services. Twenty-four families who immigrated to Québec (Canada) participated in semi-structured interviews in which they listed the obstacles and facilitators encountered in their service trajectory to obtain a diagnosis for their child. Families’ attitudes toward ASD, as a function of native culture, and their advice to other families in a similar situation are were also reported. Obstacles most often mentioned by participants were the waiting period for diagnostic services, feelings of social isolation, and a lack of professionals’ knowledge about ASD. Parental advocacy, the competency and expertise of the professionals who conducted the evaluation, and parental education and awareness of ASD were the most frequently named facilitators. Finally, the most common recommendations made to other parents were to be persistent and proactive. In light of these reported experiences and perceptions, a series of clinical recommendations are provided to guide ASD evaluation practices in multicultural communities.

Objectives Studies conducted on families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) indicate that the period following the child's diagnosis can be challenging, especially for immigrant families. Indeed, they tend to have additional difficulties in accessing and using ASD diagnosis and early intervention services. To date, few studies have contrasted the experiences of immigrant and native families. Method During the period following their child's ASD diagnosis, 104 immigrant and Canadian-born mothers and fathers completed the Beach Center FQOL Scale and provided ratings of perceived support. Results Immigrant families were less satisfied with their FQOL than Canadian-born parents, but no gender differences were observed. However, gender and immigration-status related patterns emerged with respect to the relative importance and satisfaction levels across dimensions of FQOL. Additionally, fewer immigrant families reported having access to external support, a predictor of FQOL, than Canadian families. Conclusion Although no statistically significant gender differences emerged, patterns in the data suggest that each parent may benefit from different services. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of developing programs that take into account parents' gender and cultural background and provide means of developing external support networks.

Compared to families from their host country, families from immigrant backgrounds who have a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to experience greater difficulties in accessing, using, and complying with intervention services for their child. This disparity may be partially accounted for by cultural differences in how families perceive the causes and symptoms of ASD as well as their treatment priorities. The present study sought to document these perceptions in immigrant families living in a Canadian city. Forty-five parents from Latin America, Africa, Western and Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, East Asia, and the Middle East participated in a semi-structured interview. These data were examined qualitatively through thematic analysis to first document all parents’ perceptions, then to contrast mothers’ and fathers’ responses, and finally to examine common themes as a function of country of origin. The most frequently mentioned causes of ASD were environmental factors such as vaccines and diet. Moreover, some participants did not know the cause of their child’s ASD. The majority of parents cited the absence of speech as one of the first symptoms noted in their child. Priorities for intervention varied: mothers tended to prioritize speech therapy, whereas fathers favored support in school. Taken as a whole, these findings highlight the need to implement informational programs for these families.