Health Disparities in Early Developmental Screening in Minnesota

Minnesota is a state with a rich, diverse, and evolving cultural landscape. In the past two decades, Minnesota has seen a significant increase in the number of children and families from culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Each of these communities is unique in their culture, values, and perceptions of child development and disabilities.

A growing body of research reveals that significant health disparities exist across racial groups in early screening, identification, and diagnosis of developmental delays (CDC, 2014; Mandell et al, 2002; Shattuck et al, 2009; Zuckerman et al., 2014). Further, a recent research study in Minneapolis revealed similar rates of ASD in some communities such as White (1 in 36) and Somali (1in 32), other racial ethnic groups such as Asian, Native American, and Hispanic were identified at extremely low rates (Hewitt et al, 2013). The ongoing rise of developmental delays and other neurodevelopmental disabilities highlight a significant need for ongoing developmental screening, early diagnosis, and timely early intervention services and supports in culturally and linguistically communities.

Our work with children and families is embedded in a larger cultural context. Common pediatric health care practices such as regular developmental screening and early intervention are all culturally bound constructs (Bronheim, 2015). Screening children from culturally and linguistically diverse communities requires an expanded set of professional knowledge, experience, and skills. This skill set includes knowledge of common cultural values, community norms, and cultural views on typical expectations for child