Answered Questions is a monthly resource for the Spanish language Disability Community that fills an information need. This month’s question is: I am a service provider that would like to assist Latinx/Hispanic people with disabilities to live independently in the community. What research, resources, information and organizations are available to help me provide services to Hispanics/Latinx with disabilities? This edition of Answered Questions includes items that discuss a program for Latinx families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); the effectiveness of collaborative care for depression among Latinx/Hispanics; a study that focused on evaluating transition services for Hispanic/Latinx youth with disabilities; employment and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); empowering Latinx/Hispanic parents with disabilities; how new technologies can help Latinxs with disabilities find and keep employment; a secondary education guide for current and future students with disabilities; education for Latinx/Hispanic children with disabilities; information on social programs from USA.gov; mental health in the Latinx/Hispanic community; strategies that improve coverage and financing of the care for children with disabilities; and more. More about Answered Questions.
NIDILRR-Funded Projects:
The Parents Taking Action: A Parent Training Program for Latino Families of Children with ASD, a project from the NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Family Support (RRTC on Family Support) (90RT5032), has developed a culturally competent educational program for Latinx parents of children with autism or social communication deficits. This program drew from existing knowledge about autism, treatments, services, and strategies and made it accessible to Spanish speakers in the Latinx community in a culturally competent and cost-effective way. Preliminary results from the study of this program found significant increases in parent outcomes on knowing their rights, accessing community, overall family empowerment, and efficacy in using strategies. Take a look at this recent Research In Focus article to learn more about recent research from the program on training interventions for Latinx families.
From the NARIC Collection:
The article, Effectiveness of collaborative care for depression in public-sector primary care clinics serving Latinos (in English) (J76135), discusses a study that examined the impact of a collaborative care intervention for depression that was tailored for low-income Latinx patients seen in public-sector clinics. Depending on the preference of each patient, researchers delivered a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention or facilitated antidepressant medication given by primary care providers or a combination of both. They found that collaborative care for depression among Latinos can greatly improve care and outcomes in public-sector clinics and that social workers without prior mental health experience can effectively provide CBT and manage depression care.
Research In Focus:
Many young Latinx/Hispanics with disabilities wish to find jobs in their communities after graduating from high school, and, under federal law, they are entitled to receive “transition services” from their schools and community agencies to help them and their families plan for employment. However, they may not receive the needed services. The Research In Focus article, Hispanic Young Adults with Disabilities and Their Families May Face Challenges Transition from School to Work, discusses a NIDILRR-funded study on Assessing Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) (in English) that found that Hispanic/Latinx young adults with disabilities and their families may face additional challenges in getting transition services in comparison to their non-Hispanic/Latinx peers. The authors note that community organizations serving Hispanic/Latinx families may wish to partner with schools and transition service agencies to educate them on matters relating to culture and language, and to educate immigrant families about the services available to them.
Employment and the ADA:
The NIDILRR-funded National ADA Network (in English) provides several factsheets on various topics, including employment for people with disabilities and the ADA. These topics include the changes from the ADA Amendments Act from the perspectives of employees and employers, reasonable accommodations in the workplace, work-leave and the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and mental health conditions in the workplace and the ADA. The Regional Centers may be contacted (in English) for more information.
Empowerment:
The NIDILRR-funded Parents Empowering Parents: National Research Center for Parents with Disabilities (90DPGE0001) conducts research and provides training and technical assistance to improve the lives of parents with disabilities and their families. The Center offers resources in Spanish and English to parents with disabilities and the service providers to support them, and information about working with parents with disabilities for social workers, researchers, and legal professionals.
Technology:
The guide, Technology and Disability, from the ADECCO Foundation in Spain, discusses how new technologies can help Latinxs with disabilities find and keep employment, help them improve their quality of life and social inclusion, and help them find services and maintain a daily routine through apps. The guide also discusses how technology can become a barrier to people with disabilities and how universal access and design can assist in tearing down that barrier.
Education:
The ONCE Foundation has published, in collaboration with CERMI and universities in Spain, a secondary education guide for current university and future students with disabilities, teachers and counselors, service providers, and society in general that serves as a point of information about resources available in both public and private universities to favor the inclusion of students with disabilities and which can be applied in universities across the globe. The guide also offers information on the accessibility of different centers of universities, support products and adaptations that are available in the classroom and during evaluation, along with other inclusion programs undertaken by the universities.
Resources:
- The Center for Parent Information and Resources (in English) provides information in Spanish on education for children with disabilities between the ages of 3 and 21. This includes information on how to ask for an evaluation of a child, discusses the responsibilities of the school system, discusses the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), shares links to more information, and includes information on state agencies and services.
- gov provides information in Spanish on social programs, including financial aid and benefits, from the Federal Government. The information includes links to information and factsheets on how to get help for basic expenses, how to solicit unemployment benefits, information on food stamps, and more. If you are a service provider who works with Latinx/Hispanic Veterans with disabilities, take a look at August’s Answered Questions on information and resources for Veterans with disabilities – also available in Spanish.
- The National Association on Mental Illness (NAMI) (in English) provides an article for people with mental health conditions, their families, and professionals on mental health in the Latinx community that discusses why mental health is important, how mental health conditions affect the Latinx community, things to consider, and how to find a provider that best fits the person seeking help. NAMI also provides information on bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, suicide risks, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders, dual diagnosis, and more. NAMI also provides fact sheets in Spanish and English full of information on how mental health affects everyone, cultural competency, plan in case of a crisis, and more.
Guides and Tools:
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has a health information guide online named Carla that answers a frequent question each month and provides Latinx/Hispanics the resources that will help them navigate through the health information available at NIH. Readers can read the answers to previous questions on topics such as stroke, high blood pressure, grave illnesses in children, diabetes, caring for older family members, autism, and depression. Service providers may share Carla’s easy to read answers in Spanish with their clients. Ask Carla questions via email at preguntas@nih.gov.
- This Health Resources Guide for Latinos, an interactive guide from Medicare Advantage, discusses some socioeconomic factors that contribute to Hispanics/Latinxs with and without disabilities who do not receive the health care that they need. The guide also provides resources in Spanish and English by category and by State.
Further Research:
REHABDATA:
PubMed:
International:
About Answered Questions
Each month, we look through the searches on our blog and through the information requests made by our patrons who speak Spanish and pick a topic that fills the largest need. Each resource mentioned above is associated with this month’s information need. We search the various Spanish language news sources and feeds throughout the month to bring you these articles. With the exception of the NIDILRR Projects, From the NARIC Collection, and Further Investigation, all the linked articles and resources are in Spanish – any that are in English will be clearly marked.
Collection Spotlight from the National Rehabilitation Information Center 