Skip to content
Open access

Exploring the Challenges of Canadian Parents of Children with ASD: A Preliminary Needs Assessment to Support Minoritized Parents

Aug 2026 · International journal of social policy and education · 0 citations · 45 references

TL;DR

The findings revealed that parents rely on services offered by healthcare providers, education specialists, and social service programs to support their children in the public and private sectors to support their children in the public and private sectors.

Abstract

Caring for a child with ASD can demand a lot of energy and time. Parents may feel overwhelmed and stressed, a reality more pronounced for parents from minority groups. The present study conducted a preliminary needs assessment to acknowledge any prominent gaps in the literature. We asked: (a) What supports do racially, ethnically, and/or culturally diverse parents rely on to support their autistic children? (b) What are the associated challenges with seeking support? Parents participated in semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that parents rely on services offered by healthcare providers, education specialists, and social service programs to support their children in the public and private sectors (e.g., ABA, SLP, OT). Five central issues/challenges emerged: (1) Long wait times associated with healthcare (2) High price of private care (3) Difficulty accessing information following the diagnosis of their child (4) Pervasive language barriers (5) Issues related to professionalism and competence from professionals.

Read PDF

Similar papers

Review Open access Aug 2026

Experiences of mental health support services in a community sample of parents of children with special educational needs and disabilities

Parents of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities face challenges on top of everyday parenting, placing them at higher risk of mental health difficulties. However, this could be alleviated by appropriate and timely targeted mental health services. This study examined the experiences of mental health a...

A. Bowen, Laura Fox · 0 citations
Aug 2026

Supporting Children with Medical Complexities: Strengths and Needs in Early Intervention

There is limited research related to Part C Early Intervention (EI) services for families of children with medical complexities (CMC). Given the extensive barriers that CMC and their families experience (e.g., financial hardships, ableism, frequent appointments, mental health problems), it is important that EI provider...

Crystal S. Williams, Renae Cuevas Dias, J. Daniel et al. · 0 citations
Open access Sep 2026

Enhancing Parental Self-Efficacy and Knowledge: A Pilot Study of a Culturally Adapted Autism Intervention for Parents in Canada

Caring for an autistic child often incurs a toll on the family unit, a reality that is often more pronounced for parents of diverse (i.e., racial, cultural, ethnic) backgrounds. The Ecological Validity Framework (EVF) emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity, though research on its applications for parent traini...

Paul De Luca, Miranda D'Amico · 1 citation
Open access Oct 2026

Parents' experiences and support needs regarding sexuality education for children with special needs: A qualitative descriptive study

This study aims to examine the experiences, perceptions, and support needs of parents regarding sexual education for children with special needs. The research was conducted using a qualitative descriptive design. The study group consists of 25 parents residing in Bursa, Türkiye, who have children with various special n...

Metehan Acar, Özge Ünlü · 0 citations
Review Sep 2026

A Research Note on Black caregivers’ Experiences While Awaiting a Developmental Evaluation for Their Children During a Global Pandemic

This research note examines the experiences of Black caregivers with children aged 8 years or younger awaiting a developmental or autism evaluation during a global pandemic. We recruited participants from developmental–behavioral pediatric waitlists in a mid-Atlantic U.S. state. Using a mixed-methods design, we analy...

Yoonzie Chung, Sarah Dababnah, Irang Kim et al. · 0 citations
Review Open access Aug 2026

Parent perspectives on services available to autistic children in Canada: A mixed methods survey study

Objectives Given the differing opinions among interest holders on services that are commonly accessed by autistic children, exploration of parent perspectives is needed to contribute to this knowledge base. Our objective was to explore perspectives of parents of autistic children on select services accessed by autistic...

Isabelle Caven, Y. Hamdani, Y. Lunsky et al. · 0 citations

We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads. See our Cookie Policy.