Parents Taking Action to Improve Autism Services Access for Navajo Families in Northern Arizona 

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex, neurodevelopmental disability that affects many U.S. children. ASD often necessitates the use of many services to optimize health. Profound racial and ethnic disparities exist in access to ASD services and have been established for children who are Latinx, African American or Black, and American Indian or Alaska Native (AI/AN). Coconino County has an estimated 39,478 (28.5%) individuals who are AI/AN including 32,472 who are Navajo. Little is known, however, about Navajo parent/guardian experiences raising children with ASD. Moreover, no intervention to reduce health disparities has targeted Navajo families of children with ASD. A critical need, therefore, exists to generate new knowledge on Navajo parent/guardian perceptions of ASD that can inform an intervention to improve services access. This mixed-methods study will aim to