Project Design and Aims

This project addresses the critical lack of evidence-based autism care in Bolivia by developing a culturally responsive, parent-mediated intervention model. Bolivian Parent leaders receive training to implement the Pepea intervention, a parent-mediated ASD intervention designed for caregivers in Kenya. Renamed, "Ayllu Yanapay" in Bolivia, using the Quechua phrase for "families helping," the parent leaders deliver the intervention to other families of children with ASD in their own communities. Five leaders across the country implemented Ayllu Yanapay to more than 30 caregivers over 10 weeks, explaining information about ASD as well as conducting individual practice sessions with parent-child dyads, all while they were being supported by the professional experts in the ECHO Autismo Bolivia team behind the scenes. The project aims to increase access to effective ASD care in low-resource settings by utilizing parent leaders as interventionists instead of costly and scarce professionals. The model's success could extend beyond Bolivia, offering a scalable solution for autism care across Latin America and even informing strategies for supporting Latinx families in the U.S. through reciprocal innovation.