Best FACES Forward: Outcomes of an Advocacy Intervention for Black Parents Raising Autistic Youth

ABSTRACT Despite increased diagnostic prevalence, Black parents raising autistic youth still experience additional and unique barriers to accessing and using autism-related services compared to their non-Black peers. Increasing parent advocacy capacity may be one way to reduce these disparities. This efficacy study examined the effects of the FACES advocacy program on advocacy capacity for Black parents raising autistic youth. Authors used a quasi-experimental research design that compared pretest and posttest measures for 16 Black parents raising autistic youth. Intervention participants demonstrated increases in family empowerment, school communication, and perceptions of advocacy ability. Findings offer emergent evidence of advocacy programs for Black families raising autistic youth.