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Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how people learn, behave, and communicate

Williams said that the symptoms of autism鈥攊ncluding repetitive speech patterns, difficulty understanding what others are feeling, and trouble with fine motor skills鈥攇enerally appear in the first two years of life and interrupt traditional development. But, sometimes, symptoms aren鈥檛 identified until later in life.聽

He was careful to point out that autism is neither a disease nor an illness that we should fear. Rather, he said, it鈥檚 an identity that many autistic individuals embrace and incorporate into their sense of self.聽

鈥淎utistic individuals and their families often form communities and identities around their shared experiences advocating for acceptance, inclusion, and neurodiversity,鈥� he told students, faculty, staff, and alumni who attended his lecture, which took place on Zoom.

There are significant disparities in autism diagnoses between Black and white youth

About 70 percent of all people with autism are diagnosed with at least one co-occurring condition, such as depression, anxiety, or attention deficit disorder.

Around one-quarter of young autistic people report clinical levels of depressive symptoms.

And autistic youth are 10 times more likely than non-autistic youth to die by suicide.

But research shows significant disparities in autism diagnosis rates and severity, with Black youth often being diagnosed later and with more serious challenges than white youth.

Black autistic youth are diagnosed an average of more than three years after their parents expressed concerns鈥攐ne-and-a-half to two years later than white autistic youth.

What鈥檚 more, nearly 25 percent of Black autistic youth have significant issues with conversation, language, and social skills鈥�14 percent higher than white autistic youth.

鈥淲e have grown rapidly over the past few years at developing treatments, care, supports, programs, and interventions for autistic youth,鈥� said Williams, whose older brother is autistic. 鈥淏ut if we鈥檙e not properly diagnosing and not properly assessing, then we also have a large population of youth who are not getting access to these services until later in life.鈥�

Williams approaches his research into Black autistic youth from a strengths-based perspective, which focuses on building on individual strengths rather than dwelling on perceived weaknesses聽

Researchers empower individuals when they take a strength-based approach, Williams said, and help build a sense of agency among those seeking support. This method, he added, emphasizes resilience and positive qualities rather than focusing on limitations or deficits.聽

Williams harnessed the power of the strengths-based approach in his design of 鈥淎sking for Help,鈥� a virtual training program that prepares Black youth with autism to discuss depression with their teachers and caregivers.

He鈥檚 specifically relied on community stakeholders to evaluate the feasibility of the training program, testing the app with Black youth with autism, parents, and caregivers, as well as with social workers, special education teachers, and speech pathologists. He鈥檚 also teamed up with several nonprofit organizations and state agencies to help recruit participants for the study, including the聽聽and the聽.

The intervention, still in development, video and speech recognition to make it seem as though users are having live conversations with teachers who are responding to their statements in real-time.聽

In actuality, users are talking to simulations of teachers, played by actors, who have been given scripts to provide a variety of typical but unpredictable reactions to what they say.聽

At each turn in the conversation, users select what to say from a list of premade options and receive feedback based on their choices. Each conversation is unique, so users can practice honing their conversational skills until they feel ready to share their stories with adults who can help them.

鈥溾�楢sking for help鈥� is a simulation-based intervention designed for Black autistic youth that helps them understand depression using depression literacy, while helping to address help-seeking behaviors, stigma, and hope,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淭he goal is to improve self-efficacy, communication, skills, and depression.鈥�

He acknowledged Elaine Pinderhughes鈥攖he lecture鈥檚 namesake and a social work pioneer whose seminal research revealed that race, ethnicity, and power strongly influence how social workers interact with clients鈥攆or shaping his belief in empowering people to use their own strengths to overcome adversity.

鈥嬧�嬧�嬧�嬧�淩ealizing that the role and acceptance of a people are related to the resources, influence, and advocacy of its members, Black people launched an effort to change the negative identity that Americans had forced upon them,鈥� Williams said, quoting a passage from one of Pinderhughes鈥� books. 鈥淚n this undertaking, they fought to develop pride, power, and a positive sense of identity based on their present attributes.鈥澛�

The combination of being Black in a society perceived as racist and autistic in a society perceived as ableist creates an intersection of unique marginalization and coping behaviors

Williams said that Black autistic youth often use two strategies to fit in. One of these strategies is called 鈥渕asking,鈥� or 鈥渃amouflaging,鈥� in which Black autistic youth change their behavior to blend in with non-autistic people. The other strategy is called 鈥渃ode-switching,鈥� in which they change their identities to act like white people.

Black autistic youth who engage in 鈥渕asking鈥� might hide their authentic interests and participate in conversations they find boring out of fear of being identified as autistic and facing discrimination.聽

Similarly, those who 鈥渃ode-switch鈥� might alter their speech, behavior, or appearance to align with middle-class norms in an effort to fit in with the dominant culture.

鈥淏oth of these behaviors are associated with mental distress, meaning that the more that you are forced to code switch, the greater your risk of depression, the greater your risk of anxiety. The more you鈥檙e forced to mask and camouflage, the greater your risk of depression, the greater your risk of anxiety,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淚f you are Black and autistic, you are likely experiencing both of these behaviors and going through this. And so, therefore, your risk of depression and anxiety is exacerbated because of the dual kind of experience of being Black and autistic in both a racist and ableist society.鈥�

Technology is poised to play an increasingly vital role in the future of social work

Williams said that technology, over time, will enable social workers to engage with a more diverse clientele than ever before.

鈥淪imulation-based work is growing. It allows us to bring in clients that we may not see that often,鈥� he said in response to a question from MSW Program Director Samuel Bradley Jr. following his talk. 鈥淚f you work in clinical practice, you may have one client with autism, or you may not get that experience in training in school because you may not see that population in your field placement.鈥�

Another attendee asked Williams how master of social work students can best prepare for pursuing doctoral research focused on autism.

Williams advised students to stay on top of the latest research on autism, participate in programs focused on autism awareness, and connect with organizations aimed at supporting people with autism.

鈥淛ust because you might not have someone in your life that鈥檚 autistic doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 show up to a meeting about autism. It doesn鈥檛 mean you can鈥檛 reach out to an organization and say 鈥楬ey, I would love to sit in on some of your programming,鈥欌�� said Williams, whose mom attended his lecture. 鈥淪howing up to those types of things and getting that information helps, and having those direct connections to the community partners helps. Because when you come into doctoral programs having already connected with these community partners, that will give you a leg up in that work as well.鈥�