Barriers to Care: Developmental Disabilities
Children with developmental disabilities (DD) may have mental retardation, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, autism, or other treatable conditions. Several barriers prevent API children with DD from getting the important services they need.
- Less direct advocacy from parents: A study of Asian American parents of young children with developmental disabilities found that because Asian Americans tend to be less direct in expressing their needs, their DD children do not receive the same level of support services as children of non-Asian parents.
- Fear of social stigma: Even where support services for such families exist, the fear of stigmatization often keeps API parents from acknowledging their families’ needs and seeking help.