Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects 1 in 59 children and represent the fastest growing developmental disorder in the United States. However, disparities in ASD evaluation, diagnosis, and services exist based on social factors such as race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. To date, limited qualitative research has been conducted that focuses on the experiences of single Black female caregivers of children with ASD who live in low-income, minority, and underserved communities in the United States. Objective: This study aimed to understand interrelated social and structural factors that place children and their families with limited resources at risk of delayed ASD diagnostic services and limited therapeutic services. Methods: The study design is based on in-depth interviews conducted with single Black female caregivers of children with ASD who rely on state Medicaid health insurance in metro Atlanta, Georgia (N = 21). A grounded theory analysis of the interviews was used to systematically identify themes and multi-level barriers to ASD services. Results: Despite improvements over the past several decades in diagnosing children with ASD, this study identified multiple and interacting social, economic, and residential barriers to accessing ASD services. Two themes were identified that contextualize barriers to ASD services: bureaucratic processes and geographic location of services. These barriers were compounded by the consequences of being a single female parent, including having limited income, employment options, and social capital. Practical recommendations to break the cycle of ASD service disparities are discussed.
Author: skim3090
News: Jennifer Singh Among Three IAC Faculty Selected for Emerging Leaders Cohort
— May 24, 2019 —
Three faculty from Ivan Allen College have been selected for the fourth cohort of Georgia Tech’s Emerging Leaders Program for 2019-2020. They are Karen Head (LMC), Olga Shemyakina (Econ), and Jennifer Singh, associate professor in the School of History and Sociology. Singh is a sociologist specializing in medical sociology and science and technology studies. Her research investigates the intersections of genetics, health and society, which draws on her experiences of working in the biotechnology industry in molecular biology and as a public health researcher at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We are proud of the interest the program has generated among our faculty and are thankful for the support of the Colleges. I offer my heartfelt congratulations to the next cohort of Emerging Leaders at Georgia Tech,” said Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs who leads the initiative. “The program continues to identify talented individuals who are passionate about their leadership journey and in promoting a culture of leadership at Georgia Tech.”
Starting in fall 2019 and continuing through spring 2020, the three, together with 13 other participants from across campus will take part in leadership development workshops, a fall weekend activity, small-group work, self-assessments, and 360-degree assessments.
News: Study Sheds Light on Disparities in Autism Services in Georgia
— July 23,2020 —
Being the parent of an autistic child is hard enough. Being a single parent to one is even harder. When you are poor, black, and living in an area with few service providers, the job becomes a tangle of infuriating and heartbreaking complications, Georgia Institute of Technology sociologist Jennifer Singh reports in a new paper.
The paper, “Contextualizing the Social and Structural Constraints of Accessing Autism Services Among Single Black Female Caregivers,” details the experiences of 21 metro Atlanta women navigating a complex web of medical and bureaucratic hurdles to get help for their children.
Many were able to get an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis for their child through services provided through a community-based autism clinic covered by Medicaid, and even some initial care. Still, many faced enormous hurdles receiving ongoing treatment and support, according to Singh, an associate professor in the School of History and Sociology. Her research investigates autism service inequities at the intersection of race, social class, and gender.
Singh, who is co-founder of an autism disparities working group in Atlanta, said there are initiatives that could help. She is an advocate of a model called promotora de salud, or the community health worker model, that trains lay health educators to provide help and information to underserved communities. Singh and Hong cited a 2017 intervention study from the University of Chicago detailing a pilot study of such a model involving Latino parents. The study found that mothers of autistic children “reported improvements in their understanding of ASD, their child’s strengths and needs, and how to help their child develop and learn, and knowledge of their child’s rights,” according to Singh and Hong.
Tech Voices to Discuss Black Scholars in STEM
On July 14-15, 2020 several Georgia Tech students and faculty participated in an online conference on Experiences of Black STEM in the Ivory: A Call to Disruptive Action. The event is sponsored by the Molecular Engineering and Sciences Institute at the University of Washington, with participants from Boston University, the University of Chicago, the University of Texas at Austin, and Georgia Tech.
On day one, Georgia Tech graduate student Simone Douglas will moderate a discussion on empowering students. Tech graduate students Fabrice Bernhard, Nettie Brown, Alexis Pulliam, and Clinton Smith will join panelists from other universities. Manu Platt, associate professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, will moderate a faculty discussion that includes Raheem Beyah, Motorola Foundation Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Ed Botchwey, associate professor in Biomedical Engineering; Tequila Harris, associate professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering; and panelists from other universities.
On July 15, Steve McLaughlin, dean and Southern Company Chair of the College of Engineering, will participate in Let’s Get Real: A Discussion With the Deans. And Jennifer Singh, associate professor in the School of History and Sociology, will moderate a discussion titled “Where Do We Go From Here: Disruptive Actions to Abolish Anti-Black Racism in STEM.” Douglas and Platt will be panelists.