135 Characterizing Autism Stigma in the Latinx Community: Impacts and Implications

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Stigma may be a barrier to care for Latinx children with autism, given lasting effects on individuals and families in other disorders. No study has explored autism stigma and its effect in this group. We explore the Latinx community’s beliefs and stigmatizing attitudes towards and the effect of stigma on Latinx individuals with autism and their family. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Approximately 30 Latinx parents of typically-developing children recruited from Portland, Oregon and Birmingham, Alabama will complete a 60-90 minute interview and demographics questionnaire in Spanish. Participants will receive $50 for completion of the study. Using a phenomenological approach, a coding framework will be developed for the qualitative interview data. Structural coding will establish a set of predetermined codes that characterize the data generally. An emergent coding approach will be used to create new codes exploring each predetermined global characterization more precisely. Interviews and coding will cease when thematic saturation is achieved. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Research exploring perspectives of parents of children with autism has suggested that autism stigma is high in the Latinx population and results in social isolation. However, results regarding developmental disability stigma in the general Latinx population have shown low rates of reported stigma. This suggests: 1.) stigma is not as high as reported by parents of children with autism, 2.) those perpetuating stigma are not reporting it explicitly on quantitative measures, and/or 3.) those perpetuating stigma are not aware that these attitudes are stigmatizing. A qualitative approach allows for a better characterization of this understudied phenomenon and explores the disconnect between the stigmatized and the stigmatizing. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: By answering: “How do Latinx community members view autism?” and “How does stigma affect social support?” we open avenues for research, including: utilizing collectivistic culture in linguistically- and culturally-sensitive ways to spread knowledge of autism, provide social support for families, and increase inclusivity.