About one in six children in the U.S. experiences developmental delays, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This includes attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, and other learning and developmental challenges. While there are dozens of resources for families with autistic children and those with developmental delays in Washington, Dr. Thanh Kirkpatrick, a pediatrician at Rainier Valley’s HopeCentral Clinic and executive director of the Vietnamese Family Autism Advisory Board (VFAAB), said: “There are so many barriers for the community.”
“In the Vietnamese community, children tend to receive an autism diagnosis much later than mainstream Caucasian children,” said Kirkpatrick, who notes that catching a developmental delay early makes a difference in outcomes. “Patients would be overlooked. There would be a slip due to a language barrier.”
She meets with developmental experts and autism and disability organizations to build relationships for the community. VFAAB connects Vietnamese families with support and care services. It also educates families about autism and developmental delays and engages parents in ways to address their children’s challenging behaviors.
A private parenting experience
Karen Yao, VFAAB family champion and a mother of an autistic boy, said many Vietnamese families don’t share their child’s learning delays with others.
“Many times they don’t want others to know they have a child with disabilities because people in the community might think the universe is punishing the family for something they did wrong,” said Yao.
When Yao’s son, Ethan, was 3, he was a happy toddler but wasn’t speaking or eating and couldn’t pull up his pants. A developmental specialist diagnosed Ethan with severe autism spectrum disorder, and the specialist noted that the outcomes would have been much worse if Yao had waited another month for a diagnosis. Yao quit her job and sought physical, speech, and occupational therapy appointments for her son. She spent full days taking Ethan to any available appointments she could find. Today, Ethan is thriving and excelling in his middle school classes.
Yao, who lived in Beacon Hill with her parents, said the effort and sacrifices paid off: “After a 16-week program, Ethan had a big jump in his progress. He was able to write his name and stomp his feet.”
Yao said after watching her son’s growth, she doesn’t see autism as a disability. She was invited by VFAAB to speak about her experience, and Yao has been helping Vietnamese families seek help for their children ever since.
Educating families and a community
VFAAB offers classes where families learn about developmental milestones to track their child’s progress and seek help if needed. The organization also offers parenting tips to decrease difficult behaviors.
Kim Ha Nguyen, whose daughter, Elisha, was born with Down syndrome, attended the classes and described how the sessions helped her with her daughter’s needs.
Nguyen, a resident of the Chinatown-International District, recounted, through an interpreter, that Elisha would bang her head against the wall and have tantrums.
“I learned that instead of ignoring the behavior, I could hug her. I could play and talk with her and be really observant to see what she needs,” Nguyen said. “I asked her to try to tell me what she needs, and I told her I’ll try my best to understand. The class encouraged me to be patient.”
Nguyen said Elisha had been saying “I’m hungry” in English. Nguyen recalled that it took her three days to realize what the phrase meant because she wasn’t a native English speaker.
“Now Elisha listens to what I say,” said Nguyen.
Help during the long wait for services
Nguyen stressed the importance of VFAAB’s work. “When it takes weeks to access an appointment for services, VFAAB can help me over the phone, in my language, at the time I have a question,” she said.
Kirkpatrick noted that “accessing therapies can take a year or even a few years, and they’re offered in English. [VFAAB’s] courses can offer helpful tips for families to care for their children while they’re on the waitlist for therapies.”
VFAAB partnered earlier this year with Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic to offer Small Steps 101 and 102 classes open to Vietnamese families.. The groups also offer evidence-based interventions for behaviors like tantrums and meltdowns, as well as play-based strategies to support child development, communication, and social skills.
**This article first appeared in the South Seattle Emerald and is reprinted here with permission. Read more at southseattleemerad.org.
