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" Describing the Personal Cultural Experience of Ethiopian and Eritearian Immigrant Parents of Children with ASD "
Hailu, Tenaye
Sparks, Cathy
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1054083
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| Doc. No
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TL53200
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| Main Entry
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Hailu, Tenaye
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| Title & Author
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Describing the Personal Cultural Experience of Ethiopian and Eritearian Immigrant Parents of Children with ASD\ Hailu, TenayeSparks, Cathy
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| College
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Capella University
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| Date
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2020
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| student score
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2020
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| Note
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123 p.
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| Abstract
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The topic of this study is how Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) describe their experience from a cultural perspective. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, ASD is seen through a cultural lens that limits support both for the family and for children who have ASD. Ethiopian and Eritrean parents of children with ASD who migrate to the United States or who have a child in the United States with ASD often become overwhelmed and struggle to adjust to both life in the United States and the meaning of the ASD diagnosis. There is minimal literature that addresses immigrant parents who have children with ASD. The purpose of the study was to identify the experiences of Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant parents of children diagnosed with ASD. The research question is, “How do Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant parents of children diagnosed with ASD describe their experience in relation to their native culture?” A generic qualitative research design was utilized to understand the parent’s experience with an autistic child. The population was recruited from a private, closed Facebook support-group made up of immigrants from Ethiopia and Eritrea in the United States. A purposive sampling method was used to select participants, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings from this study may contribute to the literature by describing the Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant families’ experiences with ASD. The findings indicated that Ethiopian and Eritrean immigrant parents did not receive an early and accurate ASD diagnosis. Misdiagnosis can be attributed to language barriers and a lack of language development often found in bilingual families. In Ethiopian and Eritrean communities, cultural and religious influences usually result in the minimization of both the symptoms and the diagnosis of ASD. The gap in knowledge, misdiagnosis, and late diagnosis negatively affect the families’ ability to proactively address the disorder. Four themes emerged from the data, which were confusion from diagnosis, a mystical component of the ASD symptoms, adjustment and challenge to receive services, and encouragement and support beneficial to parents of children with ASD. The results of this study may be useful to human services professionals by raising the level of consciousness and providing targeted support for immigrant families dealing with ASD. The study results may also benefit clinicians, researchers, educators, and health professionals by developing and implementing cultural-based interventions. The study may further assist other immigrant parents as they seek to help their children accept the condition of ASD, acquire an appropriate diagnosis, and search through systems to advocate for their children. Future research with Ethiopian and Eritrean parents of children with ASD who are not in a support group may provide additional insight into the influence of culture and health literacy.
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| Descriptor
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African studies
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Developmental psychology
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Psychology
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Sociology
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| Added Entry
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Sparks, Cathy
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Capella University
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