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Monday, March 20, 2023

It Takes a Neighborhood

 In The Politics of Autism, I write about the everyday experiences of autistic youths and their families -- including safety on the streets.

Michelle Menezes, Jim Soland & Micah O. Mazurek have an article at The Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders titled "Association Between Neighborhood Support and Family Resilience in Households with Autistic Children." The abstract:

The capacity of families with autistic children to demonstrate resilience is a notable strength that has received little attention in the literature. A potential predictor of family resilience in households with autistic youth is neighborhood support. This study examined the relationship between neighborhood support and family resilience in households with autistic youth utilizing data from the National Survey of Children’s Health. A structural equation model was constructed as neighborhood support and family resilience were latent variables. Findings demonstrated that neighborhood support significantly predicts family resilience. This study contributes to the literature as the first quantitative investigation of predictors of family resilience with this group. Strengths of autistic youth, their families, and their communities can be and should be leveraged to address challenges.