Although early intervention can be effective at treating symptoms of an autism spectrum disorder, researchers report that not enough of the studies examining the effectiveness of different types of interventions factor in a child's race.
In a new study, researchers at the University of Kansas, who acknowledged that autistic children can respond to intervention differently based on their backgrounds, analyzed 408 studies that had focused on "evidence-based practices." The researchers found that only 17.3 percent, or 73 studies, had collected information on the patients' race, nationality and ethnicity. Out of these studies, which included nearly 2,500 patients, the majority of them, at 63.5 percent or 489, were white children.
"I think teachers and researchers can tend to categorize these methods with the label evidence-based practices and assume they will be effective when that's not always the case," said Jason Travers, assistant professor of special education at the university and a study co-author. "In our field we've been working to identify practices that are effective for students with autism. By clarifying how racial and ethnic diversity of participants impacts intervention effects, we can increase the probability of educational benefit."
Travers added that race should be included when doctors are assessing autism especially since several studies have tied race to numerous other factors, such as poverty, nutrition and potential exposure to toxins. These factors could affect how a child responds to intervention and whether or not different types of intervention can be more effective than others. The researchers stressed the need to conduct more studies that will account for diversity.
"Research is needed to A) better understand reluctance to participate among diverse members of society; B) improve recruitment and retention of diverse participants in autism spectrum disorder intervention research and C) contribute to the development of standardized methods of collecting and storing detailed information about participants that are conducive to systematic reviews and meta-analyses of intervention efficacy for learners with distinct profiles," the authors concluded.
ASD is a developmental disorder that affects about one in 68 children, according to the estimates provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). ASD affects children of all racial backgrounds and is more common in boys than girls.
The study was published in the Journal of Special Education.
