Collectively, Ethiopians and Eritreans represent one of the largest African immigrant groups in the US, yet no research to date exists on families from these communities raising autistic children. The purpose of our study was to examine the experiences of Ethiopian and Eritrean families of autistic children including experiences (1) receiving the autism diagnosis and interacting with healthcare providers, (2) obtaining services and supports for children (including satisfaction with services and barriers to care), and (3) accessing services and supports for caregivers and families (including needs and barriers to care). Ethiopian and Eritrean parents (N = 51) raising autistic children in the US completed an online survey. Parents reported limited prior knowledge of autism within their communities and had varied experiences with healthcare providers through the diagnostic process. They endorsed barriers to accessing care for their child and family supports (such as provider shortages and cost of services), service needs, and dissatisfaction with school-based and behavioral supports. Many parents reported a negative impact on workforce participation in order to meet their child’s needs. Parents identified needs that would benefit their autistic children and families, such as accessible support groups to obtain relevant information. To our knowledge, this is the first systematic study exploring the experiences of Ethiopian and Eritrean families raising autistic children in the US. We discuss implications of our findings and recommendations for culturally responsive care.

总的来说，埃塞俄比亚人和厄立特里亚人代表了美国最大的非洲移民群体之一，但迄今为止还没有关于这些社区抚养自闭症儿童的家庭的研究。我们研究的目的是检查埃塞俄比亚和厄立特里亚自闭症儿童家庭的经历，包括经历 （1） 接受自闭症诊断并与医疗保健提供者互动，（2） 为儿童获得服务和支持（包括对服务的满意度和护理障碍），以及 （3） 为照顾者和家庭提供服务和支持（包括需求和护理障碍）。在美国抚养自闭症儿童的埃塞俄比亚和厄立特里亚父母 （N = 51） 完成了一项在线调查。父母报告说，他们社区内对自闭症的先前了解有限，并且在诊断过程中与医疗保健提供者有不同的经历。他们支持获得儿童和家庭支持护理的障碍（例如提供者短缺和服务成本）、服务需求以及对学校和行为支持的不满。许多家长报告说，为了满足孩子的需求，对劳动力参与产生了负面影响。父母确定了对自闭症儿童和家庭有益的需求，例如用于获取相关信息的无障碍支持小组。据我们所知，这是第一项系统的研究，探讨了埃塞俄比亚和厄立特里亚家庭在美国抚养自闭症儿童的经历。我们讨论了我们的发现和建议对文化响应式护理的影响。