Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Immigrant Families of Children with Autism disorder’s Perceptions of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Services

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) programs are among the most widely known interventions in autism, but their effects on families have received less attention despite the role that parents play in educating their child. The scarce literature on this topic primarily concerns the experiences of Anglophone, White, and Western families. This study documented the experience of 28 mothers and fathers who immigrated to Canada and received EIBI services provided by the province of Québec. Semi-structured interviews queried families’ vision of EIBI and its consistency with their values and practices, their perception of the family-provider partnership, and the facilitators and obstacles they encountered in implementing EIBI. Results highlighted that families valued being involved and consulted, their partnerships with staff, and the professional and socioemotional competence of staff. These characteristics of EIBI implementation are consistent with the idea of cultural humility in applied behavior analysis.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bailey, J. S., & Burch, M. R. (2005). Ethics for behavior analysts: A practical guide to the behavior analyst certification board guidelines for responsible conduct. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781410613738.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Belizaire, L. S., & Fuertes, J. N. (2011). Attachment, coping, acculturative stress, and quality of life among Haitian immigrants. Journal of Counseling & Development, 89(1), 89–97. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6678.2011.tb00064.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Cheikh, I., & Rousseau, C. (2013). Autisme et soutien social dans des familles d’immigration récente: l’expérience de parents originaires du Maghreb [Autism and social support in recently arrived immigrant families: Experiences of parents from Maghreb]. Santé Mentale au Québec, 38, 189–205. https://doi.org/10.7202/1019192ar.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cho, S.-J., & Gannotti, M. E. (2005). Korean-American mothers’ perception of professional support in early intervention and special education programs. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 1, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1741-1130.2005.00002.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, S. R., & Miguel, J. (2018). Amor and social stigma: ASD beliefs among immigrant Mexican parents. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48, 1995–2009. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3457-x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Czajkowski, S. M., Powell, L. H., Adler, N., Naar-King, S., Reynolds, K. D., Hunter, C. M., et al. (2015). From ideas to efficacy: The ORBIT model for developing behavioral treatments for chronic diseases. Health Psychology, 34, 971–982. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0000161.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, N. O. (2008). Working alliance and maternal psychological functioning: Mothers raising toddlers with autism. Dissertation abstracts international: Section B: The sciences and engineering, 69 (1-B), 671.

  • Dunst, C. J. (1997). Conceptual and empirical foundations of family-centered practice. In R. J. Illback, C. T. Cobb, & H. M. Joseph Jr. (Eds.), Integrated services for children and families: Opportunities for psychological practice (pp. 75–91). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10236-004.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Eldevik, S., Hastings, R. P., Hughes, J. C., Jahr, E., Eikeseth, S., & Cross, S. (2009). Meta-analysis of early intensive behavioral intervention for children with autism. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 38, 439–450. https://doi.org/10.1080/15374410902851739.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher-Borne, M., Cain, J., & Martin, S. (2015). From mastery to accountability: Cultural humility as an alternative to cultural competence. Social Work Education, 34, 165–181. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2014.977244.

  • Freshman, B. (2016). Cultural competency: Best intentions are not good enough. Diversity and Equality in Health Care, 13, 240–244. https://doi.org/10.21767/2049-5471.1000e17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fontil, L., & Petrakos, H. H. (2015). Transition to school: The experiences of Canadian and immigrant families of children with autism spectrum disorders. Psychology in the Schools, 52(8), 773–788. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21859.

  • Granger, S., des Rivières-Pigeon, C., Sabourin, G., & Forget, J. (2012). Mothers’ reports of their involvement in early intensive behavioral intervention. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 32, 68–77. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271121410393285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granpeesheh, D., Dixon, D. R., Tarbox, J., Kaplan, A. M., & Wilke, A. E. (2009). The effects of age and treatment intensity on behavioral intervention outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 3, 1014–1022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2009.06.007.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grindle, C. F., Kovshoff, H., Hastings, R. P., & Remington, B. (2009). Parents’ experiences of home-based applied behavior analysis programs for young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 42–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-008-0597-z.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Guralnick, M. J. (2017). Early intervention for children with intellectual disabilities: An update. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 30, 211–229. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12233.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Health Technology Inquiry Service. (2008). Diagnosis and treatment of autism: Guidelines and clinical effectiveness. Retrieved from: https://www.cadth.ca/treatment-and-diagnosis-autism-guidelines

  • Jegatheesan, B., Miller, P. J., & Fowler, S. A. (2010). Autism from a religious perspective: A study of parental beliefs in south Asian Muslim immigrant families. Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 25, 98–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088357610361344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones, E. W., Hoerger, M., Hughes, J. C., Williams, B. M., Jones, B., Moseley, Y., Hughes, D. R., & Prys, D. (2011). ABA and diverse cultural and linguistic environments: A welsh perspective. Journal of Behavioral Education, 20, 297–305. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-011-9138-5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khanlou, N., Haque, N., Mustafa, N., Vazquez, L. M., Mantini, A., & Weiss, J. (2017). Access barriers to services by immigrant mothers of children with autism in Canada. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 15, 239–259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-017-9732-4.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Klebanoff, S. (2015). The therapeutic alliance in cognitive-behavioral therapy for children with autism and anxiety (unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of California – Las Vegas, Las Vegas, CA.

  • Klingner, J. K., Blanchett, W. J., & Harry, B. (2009). Race, culture, and developmental disabilities. In S. L. Odom, R. H. Horner, M. Snell, & J. Blacher (Eds.), Handbook on Developmental Disabilities (pp. 55–75). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • L’Écuyer, R. (1990). Méthodologie de l’analyse développementale de contenu [Developmental content analysis methods]. Québec: Presses de l’Université du Québec.

  • Liptak, G. S., Benzoni, L. B., Mruzek, D. W., Nolan, K. W., Thingvoll, M. A., Wade, C. M., & Fryer, G. E. (2008). Disparities in diagnosis and access to health service for children with autism: Data from the national survey of children’s health. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 29, 152–160. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0b013e318165c7a0.

  • Maglione, M. A., Gans, D., Das, L., Timbie, J., & Kasari, C. (2012). Nonmedical interventions for children with ASD: Recommended guidelines and further research needs. Pediatrics, 130(supplement 2), S169–S178. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2012-0900O.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Makrygianni, M. K., & Reed, P. (2010). A meta-analytic review of the effectiveness of behavioural early intervention programs for children with autistic spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 4, 577–593. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2010.01.014.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandell, D. S., & Novak, M. (2005). The role of culture in families’ treatment decisions for children with autism spectrum disorders. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 11, 110–115. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrdd.20061.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McConachie, H., & Diggle, T. (2007). Parent implemented early intervention for young children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, 13, 120–129. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2753.2006.00674.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McLeod, B. D. (2011). Relation of the alliance with outcomes in youth psychotherapy: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 31, 603–616. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2011.02.001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Millau, M., Rivard, M., & Mello, C. (2018). Immigrant families’ perception of the causes, first manifestations, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1180-7.

  • Millau, R., & Mello. (2019). Quality of life in immigrant parents of children with autism Spectrum disorder: A comparison with parents from the host culture. Journal of Child and Families Studies, 28, 1512–1523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01395-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montes, G., Halterman, & Magyar, C. I. (2009). Access to and satisfaction with school and community health services for US children with ASD. Pediatrics, 124, 407–413. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-1255L.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Myers, S. J. (2008). Relationship between the consultant - parent working alliance and ratings of the consultation process with parents of children having autism spectrum disorder. Dissertation abstracts international section a: Humanities and social sciences, 69 (6- a), 2222.

  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2013). Autism: The management and support of children and young people on the autism spectrum (NICE Clinical guideline 170). London, England: Author. Retrieved from http://www.nice.org.uk/nicemedia/live/14257/64946/64946.pdf.

  • Ortiz, C., & Del Vecchio, T. (2013). Cultural diversity: Do we need a new wake-up call for parent training? Behavior Therapy, 44(3), 443–458. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2013.03.009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parkhomenko, D. (2016). Quality of life and migration experiences among Russian speaking immigrants to the United States of America (Doctoral dissertation, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology).

  • Prior, M., & Roberts, J. (2012). Early intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders: ‘Guidelines for good practice’. Australian Government’s Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA). Retrieved from https://www.dss.gov.au/

  • Ravindran, N., & Myers, B. J. (2012). Cultural influences on perceptions of health, illness, and disability: A review and focus on autism. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 21, 311–319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-011-9477-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reichow, B., Hume, K., Barton, E. E., & Boyd, B. A. (2018). Early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (5). doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009260.pub3.

  • Rivard, T., & Mercier. (2014). Effectiveness of early behavioral intervention in public and mainstream settings: The case of preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorders. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 8(9), 1031–1043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2014.05.010.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rivard, Mercier, Morin, & Lépine. (2015). Le point de vue de parents d’enfants présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme en regard d'un programme public d'intervention comportementale. Revue de psychoéducation, 44(2), 289–315. https://doi.org/10.7202/1039257ar.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rivard, M., Magnan, M., & Boulé. (2019). Snakes and ladders: Barriers and facilitators experienced by immigrant families when accessing an autism Spectrum disorder diagnosis. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 31, 519–539. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-018-9653-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rivard, M., Magnan, C., Chatenoud, C., Millau, C., Mejia-Cardenas, C., & Boulé M. (2020). Parents’ perspectives on the transition from early intensive behavioural intervention to school: Barriers, facilitators, and experience of partnership. Exceptionality Education International.

  • Rodriguez, O. (1986). Overcoming barriers to clinical services among chronically mentally ill Hispanics: Lessons from the evaluation of project COPA. Fordham University Hispanic Research Center Research Bulletin, 9.

  • Solish, A., & Perry, A. (2008). Parents’ involvement in their children's behavioral intervention programs: Parent and therapist perspectives. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2, 728–738. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2008.03.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Statistics Canada (2017). 2016 Census topic: Immigration and ethnocultural diversity. Retrieved from https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/rt-td/imm-eng.cfm

  • Tervalon, & Murray-Gracias. (1998). Cultural humility versus cultural competencies: A critical distinction in defining physician training outcomes in multicural education. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 2, 117–125. https://doi.org/10.1353/hpu.2010.0233.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vatz Laaroussi, M., Kanouté, F., & Rachédi, L. (2008). Les divers modèles de collaborations familles immigrantes-écoles: de l’implication assignée au partenariat [Various immigrant families-schools collaboration models: From assigned involvement to partnership]. Revue des sciences de l'éducation, 34, 291–311. https://doi.org/10.7202/019682ar.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warren, Z., McPheeters, M. L., Sathe, N., Foss-Feig, J. H., Glasser, A., & Veenstra-VanderWeele, J. (2011). A systematic review of early intensive intervention for autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics, 127, e1303–e1311. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-0426.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Welterlin, A., & LaRue, R. H. (2007). Serving the needs of immigrant families of children with autism. Disability & Society, 22, 747–760. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687590701659600.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright, P. I. (2019). Cultural humility in the practice of applied behavior analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12(4), 805–809.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada

    Mélina Rivard, Marie Millau, Catalina Mejia-Cardenas, Mélina Boulé & Charlotte Magnan

  2. Applied Psychology and Rehabilitation and Human Services, The Pennsylvania State University, Berks, Reading, PA, USA

    Catherine Mello

  3. Psychology and Sciences Education, University, Strasbourg, France

    Céline Clément

Authors
  1. Mélina Rivard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marie Millau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Catherine Mello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Céline Clément
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Catalina Mejia-Cardenas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Mélina Boulé
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Charlotte Magnan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mélina Rivard.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The other authors do not report any conflicts of interest of any kind.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The protocol for this study was reviewed and approved by the Joint Research Ethics Board for Public Rehabilitation Centers for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and ASD in Québec and by the Research Ethics Board of the Université du Québec à Montréal.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from all participants.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rivard, M., Millau, M., Mello, C. et al. Immigrant Families of Children with Autism disorder’s Perceptions of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Services. J Dev Phys Disabil 33, 633–651 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-020-09764-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-020-09764-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation