A Culturally-Informed Ecological Approach to Study the Transition to Kindergarten for Ethnically Diverse Parents of Children with ASD

Background:

Transition to kindergarten (TTK) can be a stressful event for ethnically diverse parents of children with ASD. Stressors may include, but are not limited to: a) compromised communication with school personnel because of parents’ limited dominant language proficiency, b) unfamiliarity with procedural and bureaucratic strains with North American culture and systems, and c) value conflict with the individualistic, Eurocentric values of educational approaches in Canada and the United States. The Ecological Systems model (Bronfenbrenner, 1989) considers the dynamic interplay between individuals and the environment over time, and therefore provides a useful lens through which to study TTK and ASD, and to conduct research with ethnically/culturally diverse people. 

Objectives:  

The purpose of this pilot study was to gather preliminary information concerning TTK from ethnically diverse parents of children with ASD, and from those involved in planning and facilitating TTK for these children. Given the exploratory nature of this study, no a priori hypotheses were formulated. However, it was expected that culturally diverse families would report experiencing TTK-related stressors that differed from those reported by parents of neurotypical children in prior research.

Methods:  

Six focus groups were conducted:  one each with English-speaking (N = 7), Mandarin-speaking (N = 2), and Arabic-speaking (N = 3) parents, one with kindergarten teachers (N = 6), and one each with two groups of service providers: Early Intervention providers (N = 2), and Early Childhood Resource Teachers (N = 16). Questions explored the following topics: How do participants define a successful transition? What positive and negative experiences were associated with TTK for ethnically diverse parents of children with ASD, and what are the unique transition-related challenges faced by these families? All focus groups were audiotaped, transcribed, and translated into English where necessary. Data were analyzed using the open-coding method.

Results:  

Four overarching themes emerged from the data: Relationship Building, Communication, Knowledge, and Support. The ecological complexity of TTK was highlighted by the fact that the nature of the four themes differed by group (i.e., teacher, service provider, or the cultural/linguistic diversity of parents) and, for parents, according to whether their child’s transition was viewed positively or negatively. For example: to best meet the needs of the child, participants talked about the need for positive relationships between service providers and teachers, parents and teachers, and teachers and children. Whereas parents discussed the need for advocacy and communication (with diverse parents finding these particularly difficult) and described associated stresses, teachers found parents’ preferences for detailed communication difficult given the classroom situation.

Conclusions:

Although these findings represent the perspectives of a small number of participants they highlight the ecological nature of the TTK process, and the differences experienced by ethnically diverse families. Given the ethnic makeup of North America, additional TTK research related to children with ASD using larger, diverse samples is needed, as is the development of effective and sensitive TTK transition processes and policies.