Constructs a framework by which health care providers and social services agencies can assess and improve programs designed for Asian families with disabled children. Key principles of the assessment include recognizing that in-house procedures may not address a child’s needs from the standpoint of his or her ethnic background, and staff may be unskilled in asking questions pertaining to cultural beliefs and practices. In addition, service providers need to learn to avoid culturally inappropriate words in questions and unacceptable behavior in interactions, to encourage parents to participate in health evaluations of their child, and to be aware of false assumptions and generalizations about Asian children. Effective consultations with Asian parents need to be free of jargon and judgment, especially since impairments in Asian children have been underreported and sometimes undetected by parents. It is especially important to overcome language and cultural barriers so that parents feel supported through the process of diagnosing a disability and arriving at and implementing an effective intervention. Both health care and social service programs may require restructuring to enable Asian parents to become more aware of their child’s needs and of the implications of their child’s diagnosis.
