Cultural adaptation of an intervention for caregivers of young autistic children: Community members' perspectives

Abstract

Caregivers of autistic children in low-to-middle-income countries experience many barriers to access resources to support their child's development. Caregiver training is considered an evidence-based practice and may be a cost-effective way to support caregivers of autistic children in such settings. This study focuses on the cultural adaptation of Parents Taking Action (PTA; Magaña et al., Family Process, 56, 57–74, 2017) to support caregivers of autistic children in Paraguay. We conducted focus groups and individual interviews with 28 caregivers, autistic individuals, and professionals in Paraguay to understand caregivers' needs and to explore needed cultural adaptations of PTA to achieve contextual fit. Participants identified caregivers' need for accurate and reliable information, strategies to support children's growth, and emotional support and strategies to manage stress. Additionally, participants provided recommendations for adapting PTA considering the dimensions within the Cultural Adaptation Checklist (Lee et al., International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 2023). This study is the first step in the iterative process of culturally adapting an intervention and the process described in this study may be appropriate for culturally adapting other interventions.