Fostering Advocacy, Communication, Empowerment, and Support (FACES) for African American families of children with autism: a pilot study

Pearson, Jamie Nicole

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Description

Title

Fostering Advocacy, Communication, Empowerment, and Support (FACES) for African American families of children with autism: a pilot study

Author(s)

Pearson, Jamie Nicole

Issue Date

2017-04-14

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Meadan-Kaplansky, Hedda

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Meadan-Kaplansky, Hedda

Committee Member(s)

• Burke, Meghan
• Santos, Rosa Milagros
• Boyd, Brian

Department of Study

Special Education

Discipline

Special Education

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• Autism
• Advocacy
• Empowerment
• African American
• Families

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families often face challenges with accessing early intervention and related services. African American children face additional challenges due to disparities in diagnoses and access to services. These disparities present a great need for parent advocacy strategies to combat barriers such as culturally insensitive service delivery, and strained parent-professional partnerships. In this sequential mixed methods study, I examined the effectiveness of a six-week parent training intervention (FACES) on strengthening perceptions of advocacy and empowerment among African American parents of children with ASD. Multiple sources of data were collected and mixed to refine the intervention and to assess the effectiveness of FACES. Results indicated that parents’ perceptions of their advocacy skills, sense of empowerment, and community support were strengthened, following the FACES program. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Graduation Semester

2017-05

Type of Resource

text

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http://hdl.handle.net/2142/97326

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2017 Jamie N. Pearson

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