Factors that Influence Autism Knowledge in Hispanic Cultures: a Pilot Study Alison M. Colbert 1 & Jo Webber 2 & Reiko Graham 2 Received: 20 September 2015 /Revised: 23 February 2016 /Accepted: 24 February 2016 # W. Montague Cobb-NMA Health Institute 2016 Abstract Although the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rising, Hispanic children are diagnosed at a dispro- portionately lower rate compared to other ethnic and racial groups. Lack of ASD knowledge in the Hispanic community may contribute to this disparity. The study objective was to determine whether sociocultural and environmental factors linked to ASD diagnostic disparities were related to Hispanic parents’ ASD knowledge. A 60-item survey assessing demographic information, acculturation, religiosity, social support, and ASD knowledge was administered to 64 Hispanic patients (84 % female; 76 % uninsured; 82 % Catholic) visiting a southwest clinic. Socioeconomic status (SES), social support, language of questionnaire, spiritual at- tribution of child diagnosis, and religious importance predict- ed ASD knowledge, accounting for 43 % of variance. Results contribute to understanding how sociocultural and environ- mental factors influence ASD knowledge within at-risk Hispanic individuals, which can be used to improve information dissemination and ultimately reduce dispar- ity in ASD services. Keywords Hispanic . Latino . ASD . Socioeconomic status . Acculturation . Religiosity . Fatalism . Social support . Culture Approximately 1 in 45 children in the USA is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [1]. Although the diag- nostic gap is closing [2], the number of Hispanic children diagnosed with ASD has historically been lower than other racial and ethnic groups [3]. Texas, California, and New Mexico, states with the highest Hispanic populations, have lower than expected rates of ASD [4], with prevalence in Hispanics approximately half of that for non-Hispanics [5, 6]. Administrative data from Texas schools revealed districts with predominantly Hispanic students had significantly lower rates of ASD than those with predominantly non-Hispanic White students [7]. Factors contributing to this discrepancy are unclear [7–9]. Underdiagnosis may be due to lack of ac- cess to ASD services, support, and advocacy [10]; alternative- ly, there may be a protective factor associated with Hispanic ethnicity (i.e., the Hispanic paradox) [8]. For example, al- though sociodemographic factors (e.g., socioeconomic and health care provider factors) were related to ASD rates in non-Hispanic White children in Texas school districts, these factors were not related to rates of ASD in Hispanic children [7]. Still, lower rates may be due to sociocultural factors that create barriers to diagnosis and care [11], including the bene- fits of early intervention (EI) [12]. This is of particular rele- vance to underserved populations where a higher percentage of children are classified as having severe ASD despite lower diagnostic rates [6]. Latino children tend to be diagnosed later than other populations [10] and may not benefit from EI, resulting in symptoms that magnify to the severe range [6]. Although the diagnostic gap is closing [13], differences in age of diagnosis, increased severity, and importance of EI are powerful motivations for understanding why discrepan- cies persist. ASD awareness is critical for timely diagnosis, allowing families to recognize symptoms earlier [6] and make informed choices regarding treatment [14]. It is possible that a lack of * Alison M. Colbert acolber1@emich.edu 1 Eastern Michigan University, 900 Oakwood St, Ypsilanti, MI 48197, USA 2 Texas State University, 601 University Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities DOI 10.1007/s40615-016-0213-4