Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
College/School
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department/Program
Psychology
Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair
Erin Kang
Committee Member
Sally Grapin
Committee Member
Bisola Duyile
Committee Member
Kristen Gillespie-Lynch
Abstract
Autism-related stigma has been identified as a significant stressor for families of autistic children, yet limited research has examined how stigma relates to quality of life among Black/African American and Latinx parents of autistic children. This mixed methods study investigated relationships between perceived stigma, affiliate stigma, and quality of life outcomes among Black/African American and Latinx parents and their autistic children. Quantitative analyses indicated that both perceived and affiliate stigma was consistently and negatively associated with parent quality of life; conversely, affiliate stigma emerged as a significant predictor of child quality of life. Across models, higher perceived and affiliate stigma were consistently associated with lower parent and child quality of life. Quality of care, unmet needs, and level of autistic traits did not significantly mediate these relationships, and the associations between stigma and quality of life did not significantly differ between Black/African American and Latinx parents. Qualitative findings provided important context for these associations, as Black/African American and Latinx parents of autistic children described feeling misunderstood within their own communities due to their child’s autism diagnosis. Taken together, findings highlight the multifaceted ways stigma shapes parent and child quality of life. Furthermore, results suggest that culturally responsive services and efforts to reduce stigma within both community and service contexts may be critical for improving quality of life among Black/African American and Latinx families of autistic children. These findings contribute to a growing literature emphasizing the intersection of stigma, service systems, and quality of life in autism.
File Format
Recommended Citation
Cargill, Mary Isaac, "Exploring Impact of Autism Stigma on Quality of Life for Ethnoracial Minority Families: A Mixed Methods Analysis" (2026). Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects. 1712.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/etd/1712