The Maryland Development Disabilities Council is provided the SSW funding to help perform a "Needs Assessment for Asian-American Children with Developmental Disabilities and Their Families." Assistant Professor Sarah Dabanah and Irang Kim, UMSSW Postdoctoral Fellow, will be working on the project.
The Asian population is the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States, yet there is very little literature regarding Asian-American caregivers raising children with developmental disabilities. The purpose of the project is to understand the strengths and needs of this population in Maryland. This project will contribute to an emerging national effort to elicit the voices of Asian-American families raising children with developmental disabilities. A summary of the findings will be shared with disability providers across Maryland, with the aim that providers and the general community will gain more knowledge about the needs and strengths of this population. Drs. Dababnah and Kim will distribute their findings both in Maryland and nationally, with the ultimate aim for Asian-American individuals with developmental disabilities to have more opportunities to participate in community life.