Analyzing Community-Based Support Requests Made by Black Families Raising Autistic Children

Black families experience additional barriers to accessing autism-related supports compared to White families. Community organizations can help mitigate the negative impact of systemic inequities and lack of support that Black caregivers of autistic family members experience. Little is known about the types of support Black families seek from these organizations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the support needs of Black families raising autistic children as evidenced by communication patterns in a community-based statewide autism organization. Our research questions were: (1) What are the autism-related support needs of Black families raising autistic children; and (2) How do familial demographics influence these support needs?

We explored the support needs of Black caregivers of autistic family members by analyzing a subset of 1,460 entries (16.8% of the total communication entries) within a database of communication entries from a community-based autism organization in one southeastern state in the United States. We analyzed the frequency of support request types and the relationships between support requests and familial demographics (i.e., rurality, gender, age).

We found that Black families most often requested family or individual support, school-related support, and behavioral support. Families requested support with bullying, social services, and health insurance less often. We found significant interactions between the three most requested services and the rurality, gender, and age of the autistic family member.

We conclude with suggestions for autism support organizations seeking to better meet the needs of Black families.