Category: Autism Spectrum and Developmental Disorders
Maria Cecilia Montenegro, M.Ed.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Harlingen, Texas
Cecilia Montiel-Nava, Ph.D.
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, Texas
Maria Cecilia Montenegro, M.Ed.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Harlingen, Texas
Ana Ramirez, M.A.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
McAllen, Texas
Cristian Botello, M.S.
UTRGV
Edinburg, Texas
Miriam Ortiz, B.S.
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, Texas
Even before COVID-19 forced the suspension of many services utilized by autistic individuals, service provision in Latin American countries was low. For example, approximately 20% of autistic children (Montiel-Nava et al., 2021) and 90% of autistic adults (Torres et al, 2021) receive zero hours of treatment per week in this global region.
The pandemic increased the already existing health disparities and service barriers experienced by autistic individuals. Service suspension and the consequences of lockdown and social isolation are expected to impact autistic individuals' adaptive functioning and mental health (Baweja et al., 2021).
This symposium provides a multi-informant and multi-country perspective to better understand the experience of autistic individuals and their families in Latin America during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data presented comes from a multisite study involving seven Latin American and Caribbean countries (LACC).
Ms. Montenegro will present data on changes in dysregulated (overt and internalizing) behaviors and preoccupation with getting sick during the COVID-19 pandemic among autistic children. Ms. Ramirez will discuss the associations between service suspension and changes in internalizing and externalizing behaviors in Mexican autistic children according to their caregivers. Mr.Botello will describe service providers' perceptions on the worsening of challenging behaviors, anxiety, and mood changes in autistic children. Lastly, Ms. Ortiz will present the perspective of autistic adults in terms of setbacks and changes in service utilization due to lockdown measures.
The discussion will help identify the social determinants of mental health present in Latin American countries during the COVID 19 pandemic and how those determinants impacted autistic individuals.
Presenter: Maria Cecilia Montenegro, M.Ed. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Co-author: Ricardo Garcia, MD – Universidad de Chile
Co-author: Gabriela Garrido, MD – Universidad de la Republica
Presenter: Ana C. Ramirez, M.A. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Co-author: Georgina Perez-Liz, MD – A.J Drexel Autism Institute
Co-author: Natalia Barrios, MD – PANAACEA
Presenter: Cristian M. Botello, M.S. – UTRGV
Co-author: Analia Rosoli Murillo, MS – 3) Organización Estados Iberoamericanos para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (OEI),
Co-author: Sebastian Cukier, MD – PANAACEA
Presenter: Miriam Ortiz, B.S. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Co-author: Alexia Rattazzi, MD – PANAACEA
Co-author: Cristiane Silvestre de Paula, PhD – Developmental Disorder Program and Mackenzie Center for Research in Childhood and Adolescence, Mackenzie Presbyterian University, Sao Paulo, Brazil,
Co-author: Daniel Valdez, PhD – FLACSO