Skip to main content
Log in

The Use of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised with a Latino Population of Adolescents and Adults with Autism

  • Published:
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Research shows that Latinos are less likely to be diagnosed with autism than their non-Latino counterparts. One factor that may contribute to these differences is that autism diagnostic instruments have not been adapted for the Latino population. The present study compared scores from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised for two groups: 48 Latino adolescents and adults with autism and a matched sample of 96 non-Latino Whites. There were no significant differences between the two groups in total impairments in social reciprocity or communication. However, lower levels of restrictive-and-repetitive behaviors were found among Latino adolescents and adults with autism compared to Whites. Findings suggest that there may be cultural equivalency in some domains, but others may warrant further exploration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Almeida, J., Molnar, B. E., Kawachi, I., & Subramanian, S. V. (2009). Ethnicity and nativity status as determinants of perceived social support: Testing the concept of familism. Social Science and Medicine, 68, 1852–1858.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th Text Revision). Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.

  • Barrio, C., Palinkas, L., Yamada, A. M., Fuentes, D., Criado, V., Garcia, P., et al. (2008). Unmet needs for mental health services for Latino older adults: Perspectives from consumers, family members, advocates, and service providers. Community Mental Health Journal, 44, 57–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, S., Richler, J., & Lord, C. (2006). Association between restricted and repetitive behaviors and nonverbal IQ in children with autism spectrum disorders. Child Neuropsychology, 12, 247–267.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bravo, M., Woodbury-Fariña, M., Canino, G. J., & Rubio-Stipec, M. (1993). The Spanish translation and cultural adaptation of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC) in Puerto Rico. Culture, Medicine and Psychiatry, 17, 329–344.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Daley, T. (2004). From symptom recognition to diagnosis: Children with autism in urban India. Social Science and Medicine, 58, 1323–1335.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Bildt, A., Sytema, S., Ketelaars, C., Kraijer, D., Mulder, E., Volkmar, F., et al. (2004). Interrelationship between Autism diagnostic observation schedule-generic (ADOS-G), autism diagnostic interview-revised (ADI-R), and the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV-TR) classification in children and adolescents with mental retardation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34, 129–137.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, R. (2008). Latino settlement in the new century. [Report]. Pew Hispanic Center.

  • Fuller, B., & García Coll, C. (2010). Learning from Latinos: Contexts, families, and child development in motion. Developmental Psychology, 46, 559–565.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • García, S. B., Méndez Pérez, A., & Ortiz, A. A. (2000). Mexican American mothers’ beliefs about disabilities. Remedial and Special Education, 21, 90–120.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howlin, P., Goode, S., Hutton, J., & Rutter, M. (2004). Adult outcomes for children with autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 212–229.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Le Couteur, A., Rutter, M., Lord, C., Rios, P., Robertson, S., Holdgrafer, M., et al. (1989). Autism Diagnostic Interview: A semi-structured interview for parents and caregivers of autistic persons. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 19, 363–387.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Rutter, M., & Couteur, A. (1994). Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised: A revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 659–685.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Machalicek, W., O’Reilly, M., Beretvas, N., Sigafoos, J., Lancioni, G., & Sorrells, A. (2008). A review of school-based instructional interventions for students with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2, 395–416.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magaña, S., Seltzer, M. S., & Krauss, M. W. (2002). Service utilization patterns of adults with intellectual disabilities: A comparison of Puerto Rican and non-Latino White families. Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 37, 65–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Magaña, S., & Smith, M. J. (2006). Psychological distress and well-being of Latina and non-Latina White mothers of youth and adults with an autism spectrum disorder: Cultural attitudes towards co-residence status. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76, 346–357.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mandell, D. S., Wiggins, L. D., Carpenter, L. A., Daniels, J., DiGuiseppi, C., & Durkin, M. S. (2009). Racial/Ethnic disparities in the identification of children with autism spectrum disorders. American Journal of Public Health, 99, 493–498.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mercadante, M. T., Evans-Lacko, S., & Paula, C. S. (2009). Perspectives of intellectual disability in Latin American countries: Epidemiology, policy, and services for children and adults. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 22, 469–474.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Overton, T., Fielding, C., & de Alba, R. (2007). Differential diagnosis of Hispanic children referred for Autism spectrum disorders: Complex issues. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 1996–2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, R. F., Walker, T., Mandell, D., Bayles, B., & Miller, C. S. (2010). Explaining low rates of Autism among hispanic schoolchildren in Texas. American Journal of Public Health, 100, 270–272.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Richler, J., Huerta, M., Bishop, S. L., & Lord, C. (2010). Developmental trajectories of restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests in children with autism spectrum disorders. Development and Psychopathology, 22, 55–69.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., & Nikapota, A. (2002). Culture, ethnicity, society, and psychopathology. In M. Rutter & E. A. Taylor (Eds.), Child and adolescent psychiatry (4th Edn., pp. 277–286). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.

  • Sanchez, J. I., Spector, P. E., & Cooper, C. L. (2006). Frequently ignored methodological issues in cross-cultural stress research. In P. T. Wong & L. C. Wong (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural perspectives on stress and coping (pp. 187–202). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Santarelli, G., Koegel, R. L., Casas, J. M., & Kern Koegel, L. (2001). Culturally diverse families participating in behavior therapy parent education programs for children with developmental disabilities. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 3, 120–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schulze, P. A., Harwood, R. L., & Schoelmerich, A. (2001). Feeding practices and expectations among middle-class anglo and Puerto Rican mothers of 12-month-old infants. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32, 397–406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seltzer, M. M., Greenberg, J. S., Taylor, J. L., Smith, L. E., Orsmond, G. I., Esbensen, A., et al. (2010). Adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder. In D. G. Amaral, G. Dawson, & D. Geschwind (Eds.), Autism spectrum disorders. New York: Oxford University Press.

  • Seltzer, M. M., Krauss, M. W., Shattuck, P. T., Orsmond, G., Swe, A., & Lord, C. (2003). The symptoms of autism spectrum disorders in adolescence and adulthood. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33, 565–581.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shattuck, P. T., & Grosse, S. D. (2007). Issues related to the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, 13, 129–135.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, J. L., & Seltzer, M. M. (2011). Changes in the mother–child relationship during the transition to adulthood for youth with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41, 1397–1410.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vrancic, D., Nanclares, V., Soares, D., Kulesz, A., Mordzinski, C., Plebst, C., et al. (2002). Sensitivity and specificity of the autism diagnostic inventory-telephone screening in Spanish. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32, 313–320.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, M., Atkins, M., & Soles, T. (2009). Assessment of autism in community settings: Discrepancies in classification. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 660–669.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • World Health Organization. (1992). International Classification of Diseases, ICD-10. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zuniga, M. (1992). Families with Latino roots. In E. Lynch & M. Hanson (Eds.), Developing cross-cultural competence (pp. 151–179). Baltimore, MD: Brookes.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Institute on Aging (R01 AG08768; Seltzer, PI); School of Medicine & Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison; UW Institute on Race & Ethnicity; and the Waisman Center (P30 HD03352, Seltzer, PI). We wish to thank all of the families for their generous participation.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sandy Magaña.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Magaña, S., Smith, L.E. The Use of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised with a Latino Population of Adolescents and Adults with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 1098–1105 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1652-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1652-3

Keywords

Navigation