#rahc

Railene - Born and raised in Barbados until she was four then the family moved to Australia.

Renee - Born in Barbados, raised in Sydney, Australia.

Michael - Born in Barbados, raised in Sydney, Australia.

Otis - Born and raised in Sydney, Australia.

This week was hectic in a good way.  I helped screen more participants for the HARC study (the study where we collect bio-samples like teeth, hair, urine, blood etc. to analyze for environmental correlations related to Autism Spectrum Disorders), went to the Border 2012 conference, completed mid-term essay evaluation for USF and HSHPS, and got to the heart of my Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) awareness project.

The following is about my awareness project:

After doing a substantial literature review on ASD in South Texas, I was ready to learn more about the needs of the community from community members themselves.  I moderated my first focus groups with eight promotoras in Brownsville to further understand the barriers and challenges that families affected by ASD face.  The promotoras confirmed what I read and have personally witnessed.  There are every few medical resources in the area, no social support systems available and doctors seem to take a long time to diagnose a child with ASD. 

 I also pilot tested an informational brochure with them.  This was extremely helpful- they provided insightful information and suggestions.  For example, they gave me a list of motivating Spanish phrases I could (and will) utilize to encourage parents to seek a medical consultation. Some of the phrases included the following: “que hay apoyo” “que hay ayudas” “que confíen”.  The promotoras also mentioned something crucial about the brochure that I will be changing immediately.  The brochures mention that although there is no known cause for ASD, it is believed to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.  I learned that by mentioning genetics would create a sense of blame among the mothers.

Last of all, we discussed our idea of incorporating promotoras in our overall project plan.  Since there are so few resources available in the Rio Grande Valley, we are hoping to train promotoras to be a competent resource on the topic.  Affected individuals will then have the option to discuss their concerns with promotoras, who will be able to refer the parents to an appropriate medical provider, put concerned parents in contact with one another, and assist parents with the social services system.  The promotoras were extremely enthusiastic about the idea!  Excellent! 

I facilitated the discussion with 8 promotoras.  We conducted the focus group in Spanish. Dr. Garza, to my left, offered his help when I couldn't understand someone. Carlos, sitting to the right, helped write everything the promotoras said. 

Dr. Valdez talked to us on Monday about cultural competency.  Here are some pretty cool facts about Mexican culture that I find worth sharing:

Space- many people know that close communication, close proximity and touching are very important in the Mexican culture.  However, did you know that not touching a baby that you encounter is a sign of disrespect and ill-concern for the child?  You do not have to know the mother or the child to touch the baby.  Not touching a baby that you look at is thought to lead to mal de ojo and is therefore a somewhat serious matter.  This tradition also applies to pregnant mothers.

Environmental Control- typically speaking, Mexican culture emphasizes that situations happen instead of making situations happen (external locus of control)

Eye Contact- Many times, people avoid eye contact as a sign of respect.

Silence- Did you know that silence is often used to agree with someone?  I find that extremely interesting/important to know- especially for doctors, lawyers etc.

Hi Everyone,

I am now in the Rio Grande Valley where I will be researching the roles of gene-environment interactions and sociocultural factors in the development of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) among Hispanic-Americans.  I have now been here for a few days and I have a few updates to share with you all: 

It is HOT here!!! I'm sure most of you don't check the weather forecast for Harlingen Texas, so let me tell you... it is wicked hot!  It was 107 degrees on Monday.  I'm not going to lie.  I'm a bit worried to see what Texas brings in August.  

This week marks the tenth anniversary of the UTHSCSA campus!  Therefore, there have been celebratory events throughout the week.  It has been an excellent opportunity to learn about the programs offered here and to meet key faculty, staff, and community leaders.  It has also been a great opportunity to score delicious free lunches.

In addition to my main research duties, I spend quite a bit of time learning about and participating in the health education outreach conducted here at the RAHC.  This morning, I learned some of the smoking education material that Dr. Tapia presents to various community members. This picture shows me feeling different types of cancers in a pair of diseased pig lungs.