Meeting the Needs of Young Hispanic Autistic Children: Developing a Culturally and Linguistically Sensitive Intervention to Alleviate Core Social Challenges
Purpose of the Study: The goal of this clinical trial is to find out if a technique called the mutual gaze procedure used in a Culturally and Linguistically Responsive adaptation of Pathways Early Intervention (CLR-Pathways) is the key to improving social communication, language, and everyday skills in young (18-42 months) Hispanic autistic children experiencing low income. What Will Happen: Researchers will compare two versions of CLR-Pathways. * Version 1: Includes mutual gaze strategies. * Version 2: Does not include mutual gaze strategies. What to Expect: Participants will: * Attend 16 sessions (or 18 weeks if there are cancellations) of Pathways Intervention, each lasting 1.5 hours. * Come to the clinic for a developmental check-up three times: before starting Pathways, right after completing Pathways, and three months after finishing Pathways.
• Children must be from a Hispanic family experiencing low income, defined as having an income-to-needs ratio of \< 200% of the federal poverty level, determined by their household size
• Children must be between 18-42 months old at the start of the study
• Children must have no other known neurological or genetic concerns or disorders determined by parent report
• Children must receive a Calibrated Severity Score (CSS) of 4 or higher on the Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule-2 (ADOS-2) administered by a qualified bilingual assessment associate
• Families must have a primary home language of English and/or Spanish