¡Iniciando! la Adultez (Launching! to Adulthood): A cultural and linguistic adaptation of a group therapy program for young adults with autism spectrum disorder transitioning to adulthood

Objectives: The transition to adulthood is a formative period of development for young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as they work towards independence and managing adult responsibilities. While evidence-based interventions have been developed for young adults with ASD, they have rarely been culturally and linguistically adapted for the Latino, Spanish-speaking community. The present study provided initial feasibility and acceptability data for a therapy program for Latino young adults with ASD transitioning to adulthood and their Spanish-speaking parents. Methods: The culturally adapted and translated intervention, called ¡Iniciando! la Adultez, is a 10-week therapy program based on an evidence-based treatment (Launching! to Adulthood). The culturally and linguistically adapted therapy program now includes a weekend webinar series, Spanish parent group sessions, longer individual sessions, and more family sessions. Culturally, the Spanish-translated programs includes Latino values and integrates parents into the young adults’ transition. Results: ¡Iniciando! was acceptable and feasible for the all participants (n = 64), with high ratings of satisfaction and cultural fit for parents (n = 38) and young adults (n = 26). Conclusion: By culturally and linguistically adapting this intervention program, we were able to provide an intervention program to an underserved community and simultaneously help young adults with ASD transition to adulthood.