Sounding the Alarm: Calling on Service Providers to Reduce Disparities in Autism Services for Latino Adults

Latinos have seen a 30% increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) since 2018. However, Latino children are diagnosed later and remain underdiagnosed compared to Whites. Later diagnosis of autism or failure to receive a diagnosis of autism into adulthood is associated with negative outcomes. From 2012 to 2022, in specialty clinic diagnosing autism in adulthood, Latino adults (n = 31) were older than White adults (n = 323) and, using 2020 Census data, severely underrepresented despite experiencing similar distress and symptoms of autism to White adults. Latino adults with a first-time diagnosis of autism were also nearly 2.5 years older than White adults. Recommendations are provided to service providers to improve access to services for Latinos. Recommendations provided include making changes at an organizational level to improve access to high quality healthcare services for Latinos. Other recommendations include translating services for Spanish-speaking Latinos and advertising these services. Finally, service providers should culturally adapt services to ensure they are appropriate for Latinos.