Peer-reviewed article

Evaluating the parents taking action intervention among low-resourced Chinese immigrant families of children with autism: pre-, post-, and follow-up outcomes.

Xu Y, Zhan W, Garg H, Gibson H, Chen Y · 7 Aug 2026

Abstract

This study evaluates the changes over three different points of assessment on family and child outcomes of the Parents Taking Action (PTA) program among underserved Chinese immigrant families raising children with autism. Despite growing autism prevalence among Asian American children, Chinese immigrant families continue to face cultural, linguistic, and systemic barriers in accessing timely and effective services. The culturally-adapted Parents Taking Action-Chinese intervention was delivered virtually by trained community health workers (CHWs) with lived experiences. Twenty-eight parents were recruited from Chicago and New York City. Over a 10-week period, families participated in peer-led sessions covering evidence-based strategies (EBS), communication, play, advocacy, and coping. Family empowerment and caregivers' self-efficacy in using EBS were maintained at the 2-week post-intervention. Notably, child outcomes-such as reductions in challenging behaviors, improvements in social communication, and increased access to clinical services-showed significant improvement at 3-month post-intervention, though they were not evident immediately post-intervention. These findings highlight the promise of scalable, community-based, and culturally responsive interventions to reduce disparities in autism care for Chinese immigrant families.