{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T17:23:04Z","timestamp":1786123384348,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786060800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100008522","name":"University of Illinois at Chicago","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100008522","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Psychiatry"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study evaluates the changes over three different points of assessment on family and child outcomes of the Parents Taking Action (PTA) program among underserved Chinese immigrant families raising children with autism. Despite growing autism prevalence among Asian American children, Chinese immigrant families continue to face cultural, linguistic, and systemic barriers in accessing timely and effective services. The culturally-adapted Parents Taking Action-Chinese intervention was delivered virtually by trained community health workers (CHWs) with lived experiences. Twenty-eight parents were recruited from Chicago and New York City. Over a 10-week period, families participated in peer-led sessions covering evidence-based strategies (EBS), communication, play, advocacy, and coping. Family empowerment and caregivers\u2019 self-efficacy in using EBS were maintained at the 2-week post-intervention. Notably, child outcomes\u2014such as reductions in challenging behaviors, improvements in social communication, and increased access to clinical services\u2014showed significant improvement at 3-month post-intervention, though they were not evident immediately post-intervention. These findings highlight the promise of scalable, community-based, and culturally responsive interventions to reduce disparities in autism care for Chinese immigrant families.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1774712","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T14:48:20Z","timestamp":1786114100000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Evaluating the parents taking action intervention among low-resourced Chinese immigrant families of children with autism: pre-, post-, and follow-up outcomes"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Yue","family":"Xu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences Education, University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine","place":["Chicago, IL, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Weihai","family":"Zhan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences Education, University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine","place":["Chicago, IL, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Himani","family":"Garg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health","place":["Chicago, IL, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hattie","family":"Gibson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Sciences Education, University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine","place":["Chicago, IL, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuchen","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Dell Medical School Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Pennsylvania","place":["Philadelphia, PA, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"B1","volume-title":"Facts About Asians in the US","author":"Im","year":"2025"},{"key":"B2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.ss7402a1","article-title":"Prevalence and early identification of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 4 and 8 years\u2014Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 sites, United States 2022","volume":"74","author":"Shaw","year":"2025","journal-title":"MMWR Surveillance Summaries"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/13623613221147396","article-title":"Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in a large pediatric primary care network","volume":"27","author":"Wallis","year":"2023","journal-title":"Autism"},{"key":"B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/13623613211072593","article-title":"Patterns in reporting and participant inclusion related to race and ethnicity in autism intervention literature: Data from a large-scale systematic review of evidence-based practices","volume":"26","author":"Steinbrenner","year":"2022","journal-title":"Autism"},{"key":"B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/DBP.0000000000000996","article-title":"Racial, ethnic, and sociodemographic disparities in diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorder","volume":"42","author":"Aylward","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Dev Behav Pediatr"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"95","DOI":"10.1093\/hsw\/hlx004","article-title":"Disparities in health care quality among Asian children with special health care needs","volume":"42","author":"Son","year":"2017","journal-title":"Health Soc Work"},{"key":"B7","volume-title":"Disability and AANHPI Identities","author":"Lea","year":"2025"},{"key":"B8","volume-title":"Immigrant Parents and Early Childhood Programs: Addressing Barriers of Literacy, Culture, and Systems Knowledge","author":"Park","year":"2025"},{"key":"B9","volume-title":"Key Facts About Asians in the US","author":"Krogstad","year":"2025"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ajp.2018.11.017","article-title":"Barriers faced by immigrant families of children with autism: A program to address the challenges","volume":"39","author":"Sritharan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Asian J Psychiatry"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/DBP.0000000000001070","article-title":"Diagnostic process and barriers among Chinese-American and Korean-American parents of children with autism","volume":"43","author":"Kim","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Dev Behav Pediatr"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10826-025-03061-8","article-title":"Help-seeking experiences of Asian American parents of children with autism: A qualitative study","volume":"34","author":"Khalil","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Child Family Stud"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"594","DOI":"10.1177\/0021909612467421","article-title":"Asian American parents\u2019 experiences of raising children with autism: Multicultural family perspective","volume":"48","author":"Wang","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Asian Afr Stud"},{"key":"B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1049732320926138","article-title":"Asian immigrant parents\u2019 role enactment while accessing and using services for their child with developmental disabilities in the United States: A meta-synthesis study","volume":"30","author":"Hwang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Qual Health Res"},{"key":"B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10803-017-3394-8","article-title":"In search of culturally appropriate autism interventions: Perspectives of Latino caregivers","volume":"48","author":"DuBay","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Autism Dev Disord"},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jppi.12451","article-title":"Culturally adapting a parent psychoeducational intervention for Chinese immigrant families of young children with autism spectrum disorder","volume":"19","author":"Xu","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Policy Pract Intellectual Disabil"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.1177\/1088357613504990","article-title":"A parent education program for parents of Chinese American children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) a pilot study","volume":"29","author":"Chiang","year":"2014","journal-title":"Focus Autism Other Dev Disabil"},{"key":"B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"67","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01447045","article-title":"Ecological validity and cultural sensitivity for outcome research: Issues for the cultural adaptation and development of psychosocial treatments with hispanics","volume":"23","author":"Bernal","year":"1995","journal-title":"J Abnormal Child Psychol"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1111\/famp.12169","article-title":"Parents taking action: A psycho-educational intervention for Latino parents of children with autism spectrum disorder","volume":"56","author":"Maga\u00f1a","year":"2017","journal-title":"Family Process"},{"key":"B20","first-page":"263","article-title":"Cultural adaptations of a parent training program for families of children with ASD\/IDD: Parents taking action","volume-title":"International Review of Research in Developmental Disabilities","author":"Maga\u00f1a","year":"2021"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"499","DOI":"10.1177\/13623613211033108","article-title":"Revisiting an RCT study of a parent education program for Latinx parents in the United States: Are treatment effects maintained over time","volume":"26","author":"Zeng","year":"2022","journal-title":"Autism"},{"key":"B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/S0954579403000312","article-title":"Research strategies for capturing transactional models of development: The limits of the possible","volume":"15","author":"Sameroff","year":"2003","journal-title":"Dev Psychopathol"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-295X.84.2.191","article-title":"Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change","volume":"84","author":"Bandura","year":"1977","journal-title":"psychol Rev"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"878","DOI":"10.1007\/s10567-024-00495-2","article-title":"A systematic review of parental self-efficacy in parents of autistic children","volume":"27","author":"Brennan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Clin Child Family Psychol Rev"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1044\/1058-0360(2011\/10-0055","article-title":"The effectiveness of parent-implemented language interventions: A meta-analysis","volume":"20","author":"Roberts","year":"2011","journal-title":"Am J Speech-Language Pathol"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10803-013-1840-9","article-title":"Initial efficacy of Project ImPACT: A parent-mediated social communication intervention for young children with ASD","volume":"43","author":"Ingersoll","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Autism Dev Disord"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10803-017-3386-8","article-title":"Mediating parent learning to promote social communication for toddlers with autism: Effects from a randomized controlled trial","volume":"48","author":"Schertz","year":"2018","journal-title":"J Autism Dev Disord"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/13623613211068934","article-title":"Effectiveness of a parent-mediated intervention for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from a large community implementation","volume":"26","author":"Brian","year":"2022","journal-title":"Autism"},{"key":"B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10803-015-2407-8","article-title":"Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions: Empirically validated treatments for autism spectrum disorder","volume":"45","author":"Schreibman","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Autism Dev Disord"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s10826-025-03102-2","article-title":"A mixed-method evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of Parents Taking Action among underserved Chinese immigrant families of children with autism","volume":"34","author":"Xu","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Child Family Stud"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"6","DOI":"10.1177\/105381511139944","article-title":"Development and psychometric validation of the family outcomes survey\u2013revised","volume":"33","author":"Bailey","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Early Intervention"},{"key":"B32","volume-title":"Parenting Stress Index","author":"Abidin","year":"1990"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ridd.2014.03.047","article-title":"Psychometric validation of the family outcome survey-revised in Singapore","volume":"35","author":"Poon","year":"2014","journal-title":"Res Dev Disabil"},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1651-2227.2001.tb01615.x","article-title":"The Chinese version of the parenting stress index: A psychometric study","volume":"90","author":"Yeh","year":"2001","journal-title":"Acta Paediatrica Int J Paediatrics"},{"key":"B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyg.2020.00985","article-title":"Parenting self-efficacy in immigrant families\u2014a systematic review","volume":"11","author":"Boruszak-Kiziukiewicz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front Psychol"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/10883576211012599","article-title":"Potential factors of parenting stress in Chinese parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review","volume":"36","author":"Ng","year":"2021","journal-title":"Focus Autism Other Dev Disabil"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/sw\/49.3.479","article-title":"The empowerment model: A critical reflection of empowerment in Chinese culture","volume":"49","author":"Yip","year":"2004","journal-title":"Soc Work"},{"key":"B38","volume-title":"Scales of Independent Behavior-Revised. SIB-R","author":"Bruininks","year":"1996"},{"key":"B39","volume-title":"The Social Communication Questionnaire","author":"Rutter","year":"2007"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1002\/oti.305","article-title":"Factors associated with caregiving burden and maternal pessimism in mothers of adolescents with an autism spectrum disorder in Taiwan","volume":"18","author":"Lin","year":"2011","journal-title":"Occup Ther Int"},{"key":"B41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rasd.2010.09.010","article-title":"Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the social communication questionnaire","volume":"5","author":"Gau","year":"2011","journal-title":"Res Autism Spectr Disord"},{"key":"B42","article-title":"Guidelines for selecting the covariance structure in mixed model analysis","author":"Kincaid","year":"2005"},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/jcpp.12728","article-title":"Randomised trial of a parent\u2010mediated intervention for infants at high risk for autism: Longitudinal outcomes to age 3 years","volume":"58","author":"Green","year":"2017","journal-title":"J Child Psychol Psychiatry"},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1044\/2022_jslhr-21-00361","article-title":"Parent-implemented positive behavior support strategies for young children on the autism spectrum: A pilot investigation","volume":"65","author":"Hampton","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Speech Language Hearing Res"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Psychiatry"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1774712\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]],"date-time":"2026-08-07T14:48:23Z","timestamp":1786114103000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1774712\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]]},"references-count":44,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1774712"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fpsyt.2026.1774712","relation":{},"ISSN":["1664-0640"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1664-0640","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,7]]},"article-number":"1774712"}}