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Are Non-intellectually Disabled Black Youth with ASD Less Impaired on Parent Report than Their White Peers?

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Abstract

There is a lack of research examining differences in functioning in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) across ethnicity, particularly among those without intellectual disability (ID). This study investigated ethnic differences in parent-reported impairment in executive function, adaptive behavior, and social–emotional functioning. White and Black youth (n = 64; ages 6–17) with ASD without ID were compared on each of these domains. Black youth had significantly lower levels of impairment on all three domains. Findings may reflect better daily functioning among Black youth with ASD and/or cultural differences in parent response to questionnaires. Regardless, these findings raise concern about the sensitivity of commonly used measures for Black children with ASD and the impact of culture on daily functioning and symptom manifestation.

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Notes

  1. Race/ethnicity were identified by parent selection from among the following categories: American Indian/Alaska Native; Asian American; Black or African American; Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander; White; Other. Families then identified as Hispanic or Latino versus Not Hispanic or Latino. Self-report is the widely preferred approach to obtaining race and ethnicity data and is considered to be the “gold standard” (Higgins and Taylor 2009; Wei et al. 2006). We acknowledge that these categories may be not sufficiently descriptive to distinguish among locally relevant ethnic populations.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this project was provided by a grant through the Isadore and Bertha Family Foundation. We are grateful to the children and families who participated in this study.

Author contributions

AR collected the data, ran the analyses, and wrote the paper. BA assisted in designing the analyses and wrote the paper. LK served as co-principal investigator for the project, collected the data, provided feedback on analyses, and wrote the paper. ACA and KD collected the data, managed the database, and edited the paper. LA served as co-principal investigator for the project, collected the data, assisted in designing the analyses, and wrote the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children’s Research Institute, Children’s National Health System, George Washington University School of Medicine, 15245 Shady Grove Rd., Suite 350, Rockville, MD, 20850, USA

    Allison B. Ratto, Lauren Kenworthy, Anna Chelsea Armour, Katerina Dudley & Laura Gutermuth Anthony

  2. Center for Child and Human Development, Georgetown University, Box 571485, Washington, DC, 20057-1485, USA

    Bruno J. Anthony

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  1. Allison B. Ratto
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  2. Bruno J. Anthony
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  3. Lauren Kenworthy
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Correspondence to Allison B. Ratto.

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Ratto, A.B., Anthony, B.J., Kenworthy, L. et al. Are Non-intellectually Disabled Black Youth with ASD Less Impaired on Parent Report than Their White Peers?. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 773–781 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2614-3

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