I would like to introduce an online study which is being conducted by Dr. Erin Kang and doctoral candidate Sadaf Khawar, MA, BCBA at the Montclair State University’s Psychology Department in Montclair, NJ. The Montclair State University Institutional Review Board has approved this study [IRB-FY21-22-2334]. Please see our flyer with this email.
Prior research studies have focused on the experiences of ethnoracial minority families with autism spectrum disorder, with some studies either having relatively small sample sizes, restricted to a specific geographical area, or from outside the United States (e.g., Canada, United Kingdom). There is a need for inclusion of underrepresented minorities in research in order to inform policy making and scientific practice, therefore, this project will fill an important gap in the extant literature.
In the first phase of recruitment, we are focusing on including South Asian and Middle-Eastern and North African (MENA) caregivers/parents with a child with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 3-21 living in the United States, however, we plan to expand our sample to include other minority groups as well in our next phase. Notably, the limited studies with South Asian and MENA families (two racial groups whose population is rapidly increasing in the United States) have yet to assess needs, trends in service utilization, and comprehensive barriers to treatment access.
To be clear, the South Asian minority group includes individuals from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. Individuals in the MENA category are from the Middle East (i.e., Iraq, Iran, Oman, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Israel) and North Africa (i.e., Egypt, Morocco, Sudan, Somalia, Algeria, Ethiopia, Libya, Tunisia, Mauritania, and Western Sahara).
Email : erinkanglab@montclair.edu