TY - JOUR
T1 - Clinical utility of the ECLECTIC framework in providing culturally-informed autism spectrum disorder evaluations
T2 - A pediatric case-based approach
AU - Bordes Edgar, Veronica
AU - Meneses, Veronica
AU - Shaw, Daphna
AU - Romero, Regilda Anne
AU - Salinas, Christine M.
AU - Kissel, Abigail
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - Objective: Social cognition does not exist within a vacuum. One’s culture and surrounding social environment influence 1) development of social skills and behaviors, and 2) society’s expectations regarding “normal” behavior versus behaviors consistent with the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Use of a comprehensive cultural framework such as Fujii’s ECLECTIC model undergirds valid ASD testing by enhancing clinician awareness of potential biases during clinical decision-making and by supporting culturally relevant recommendations. Method: Four diverse pediatric patients presenting for concerns of ASD are described. Neuropsychological test data and salient cultural considerations are presented within the ECLECTIC framework. Results: The cases illustrate relevant cultural factors critical to the ASD assessment for youth with wide diversity (Southeast Asian, Deaf, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Chinese cultures) and varied contextual factors (adoption, underlying Down syndrome). The ECLETIC model better allows integration of salient factors such as cognition, family dynamics, behaviors, educational services, and language dominance. Conclusions: Unrecognized ethnocentric biases may shadow the complexities and nuances involved in ASD assessment across cultures. Such errors are minimized using a comprehensive cultural framework to guide equitable neuropsychological services. The ECLECTIC model’s emphasis on cultural and contextual factors results in more accurate findings and more individualized planning for the patient. Recommendations for clinical application are provided.
AB - Objective: Social cognition does not exist within a vacuum. One’s culture and surrounding social environment influence 1) development of social skills and behaviors, and 2) society’s expectations regarding “normal” behavior versus behaviors consistent with the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Use of a comprehensive cultural framework such as Fujii’s ECLECTIC model undergirds valid ASD testing by enhancing clinician awareness of potential biases during clinical decision-making and by supporting culturally relevant recommendations. Method: Four diverse pediatric patients presenting for concerns of ASD are described. Neuropsychological test data and salient cultural considerations are presented within the ECLECTIC framework. Results: The cases illustrate relevant cultural factors critical to the ASD assessment for youth with wide diversity (Southeast Asian, Deaf, Black, Hispanic/Latinx, and Chinese cultures) and varied contextual factors (adoption, underlying Down syndrome). The ECLETIC model better allows integration of salient factors such as cognition, family dynamics, behaviors, educational services, and language dominance. Conclusions: Unrecognized ethnocentric biases may shadow the complexities and nuances involved in ASD assessment across cultures. Such errors are minimized using a comprehensive cultural framework to guide equitable neuropsychological services. The ECLECTIC model’s emphasis on cultural and contextual factors results in more accurate findings and more individualized planning for the patient. Recommendations for clinical application are provided.
KW - Autism
KW - culture
KW - diagnostics
KW - neuropsychology
KW - pediatric
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U2 - 10.1080/13854046.2021.1936187
DO - 10.1080/13854046.2021.1936187
M3 - Article
C2 - 34126862
AN - SCOPUS:85107980694
SN - 1385-4046
VL - 36
SP - 1148
EP - 1171
JO - Clinical Neuropsychologist
JF - Clinical Neuropsychologist
IS - 5
ER -