Understanding the Effectiveness and Feasibility of a Family Navigator Program for Parents of Children With Autism

Systems navigation can be difficult, especially for low-resourced families (i.e., families who are "low income" or meet one of the following indicators: mother has a high school diploma or less; primary caregiver is unemployed; or the family receives governmental assistance). Navigators may help families access services; however, the training of navigators is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of Supporting Parents to Access and Navigate Services (SPANS), a program to develop navigators. Altogether, 19 low-resourced parents of children with autism participated in SPANS. Participants demonstrated significantly improved knowledge about autism services and perceived advocacy for other families and systemic change. There was high attendance, low attrition, high acceptability, and high fidelity. Implications are discussed.